Kuala lumpur: The National Service Training Programme (PLKN) will be expanded to 20 public universities nationwide next year, said National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Ya'cob Samiran. He mentioned that a PLKN pilot project will be implemented at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, as well as three each at polytechnics and Institutes of Teacher Education this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the training period at universities will be longer, covering one to two semesters, compared to the 45 days at camps. Students who have completed the training at camps after obtaining their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia will be exempted when they continue their studies at university. Datuk Ya'cob shared these details during a press conference for the Malaysian Youth Parliament Roadshow Series 5 at the 505 Territorial Army Camp.

Through the implementation of PLKN at higher education institutions, about 150,000 youths can be trained within a year. PLKN will also be expanded to 13 training camps nationwide, involving a total of 25,000 participants annually. Currently, only two camps are operational, with the rest undergoing upgrades and preparations. The number of operational camps is expected to increase from the second series and subsequently the third series.

Commenting on the case involving 254 male PLKN 3.0 Series 1/2026 trainees who were advised to return home last January, Datuk Ya'cob explained that the incident occurred when the number of participants who turned up exceeded the set capacity following last-minute confirmations. For example, the maximum capacity at a location is 500 people, but 556 participants showed up due to late confirmations, reserve candidates, and voluntary walk-ins.

Ya'cob stated that his department had to adhere to existing procedures by prioritizing participants who had confirmed and attended according to the stipulated procedures, followed by eligible reserve candidates.