Newly-appointed Malaysian National Service Training Council (MLKN) chairman Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and his predecessor Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye went through the handover of duty ceremony in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
KUCHING:
By Churchill Edward
HISTORIC MOMENT: Lee (left) and Dr Tiki shaking hands during the handover ceremony in Kuala Lumpur as Abdul Hadi looks on. — Bernama photo
National Service director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil witnessed the ceremony which was followed by a press conference.
Dr Tiki, the Mas Gading MP, made some sort of history by being the first Sarawakian to hold such an important advisory post.
Lee was at helm since the implementation of the National Service (NS) in 2003.
Dr Tiki is vice-president of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and former Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development.
The term of chairmanship of three years took effect on Oct 1, 2008 and will expire on Sept 30, 2011.
Met in Bau recently, Dr Tiki said his appointment by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Sultan Mahmud Shah was both an honour and a wonderful challenge.
The first thing he would work on would be to improve race relations among trainees and the relation between NS camps and members of the public, especially parents, he said.
According to Dr Tiki, improving race relation must start with the young and youths because at that age they are more teachable.
“We must improve on race and human relations apart from the national integration aspect. Once people feel at ease, respect, and accept each other, automatically they will feel at home and patriotism will come in naturally.
“When we love each other and feel at home, we will not have to force people to become patriotic. This will be natural,” he stressed.
He pointed out that the NS programme was aimed at strengthening national integration and racial harmony and that lately these two issues had become public concerns because of several racial-related incidents in West Malaysia.
Dr Tiki thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the Defence Minister, for being personally responsible in suggesting his name to be included as one of the potential candidates for the post.
He thanked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for bringing up his name to the Federal Cabinet and to get the consent from the Agong and also Abdul Hadi for following up on his appointment.
Dr Tiki also disclosed that when he was Deputy Minister of Unity and National Integration, he was among those instrumental in doing a working paper on the NS together with his special affair officer, the late Simon Ong.
The proposal came from the then Ministry of Unity and National Integration in 2001 and was implemented in 2003 by the Ministry of Defence.
There are altogether 87 NS camps nationwide, with eight located in Sarawak.
