Two NS camps in Sabah still closed

Two National Service (NS) Training Centres in Sabah's east coast are still closed following the intrusion of Sulu terrorists and the setting up of the East Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM).

The Bagai Budi Camp in Sandakan and the Shan Shi Camp in Tawau are temporarily closed to overcome parents' anxiety despite security being tightened in the areas, said National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil.

"We've got many calls from parents who expressed concern over the safety of their children at the camps due to the incursion," he told reporters after seeing off NS trainees for the second of the 10/2013 series here today.

Abdul Hadi said hence, 142 trainees from the peninsula slotted for the two camps were distributed to camps in Selangor and Melaka, while the stint for 846 others were postponed to Group 3.

Nevertheless, he said the 80-day stint for 516 trainees from the ESSCOM area in the peninsula would go on for security measures were being taken to ensure their safe journey.

Meanwhile, he said trainees for the second of the 10/2013 series would be enlightened on national sovereignty and the importance of defending Sabah as part of Malaysia besides invoking patriotism.

Some 42,000 trainees in the second group of the series will heading for 79 camps nationwide in 912 bus and 40 flights starting Monday.