KUALA LUMPUR, 17 February 2004 — More than 28,000 youths from different ethnic groups reported yesterday for Malaysia’s first national service call-up aimed at boosting patriotism and racial integration.

They are from among some 85,000 teenagers who have been chosen at random from Malaysia’s more than 480,000 girls and boys born in 1986 for three-month stints in 41 camps around the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also defense minister, said there was no political agenda behind the program, but the main opposition Islamic Party has charged that it is aimed at indoctrinating Muslim youths to support the ruling coalition.

The government says the objective of the 500-million-ringgit ($132 million) pilot program is to build a generation of self-confident, patriotic youths with noble values and develop multiracial harmony and unity.

The trainees and some 4,000 camp instructors have been picked to mirror the country’s ethnic make-up, officials say. Muslim Malays account for some 60 percent of Malaysia’s 25 million people, while ethnic-Chinese make up some 26 percent and Indians eight percent. The program does not involve weapons handling but physical training includes unarmed military-style exercises such as basic self-defense and jungle survival skills.

Recruits will be given paramilitary-style uniforms along with boots and berets, but will also undergo community service and classes on patriotism, nation-building and character-building.

The scene was chaotic at many pick-up points around the country, where angry and worried parents complained of crawling traffic and poor organization as they took their children to catch buses and planes to their campsites. Some parents also dismissed the scheme as a quick-fix that cannot meet its objectives of nation-building because it only involves 18 percent of those born in the same year, while others criticized the huge budget allocation.

“This is just a motivation camp. I am not sure what the government really expects to achieve. It does seem a waste of money. With 500 million ringgit, they could have built hospitals for village folks,” Mohamad Isa, 46, said.

O.F. Chong, 55, also said he saw little benefit for his daughter. He complained he had to endure a two-hour traffic jam and waited another three hours before finally sorting out her transportation. It was a teary departure for some teens and their parents, but most of the youths appeared to be looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, the prime minister yesterday quashed speculation that parliament would be dissolved at the end of this month to pave the way for a snap general election, the Bernama news agency said.

Abdullah Badawi, who came to power in late October, has been widely expected to call for an election in April or May, if not earlier.

“The date has not been fixed... when the date is fixed you will hear about it,” Bernama quoted him as telling reporters during a visit to the northern state of Perak.

Elections are due by the end of the year, but Badawi is expected to capitalize on the “feel-good factor” since he took over from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad.