Volunteers of NS Brigade will receive allowance, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Former National Service (NS) trainees who volunteer for the National Service Volunteer Brigade will be rewarded with a generous allowance, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.  He said the Cabinet had recently approved RM11mil for this purpose.  The Brigade, comprising NS alumni, was formed to provide help and relief to victims of all national calamities such as floods, fires, landslides and other disasters.  “Each volunteer in the convoy will receive an allowance according to the number of hours they clock in. However, only those who volunteer for more than 120 hours a year will be eligible.  “Those who volunteer between 120 and 239 hours will receive RM260, those who clock between 240 and 379 hours will get RM390, while those who volunteer for more than 380 hours a year will get RM580,” he said after flagging off the Brigade’s first public service convoy at the ministry here yesterday.  The convoy of 30 volunteers will travel over six days to various locations, starting from Pagoh, Johor and ending in Pekan, Pahang.  Their mission is to serve the community with activities such as gotong-royong and visits to orang asli villages.  About 200 volunteers will meet the convoy at each location to join them in their activities.  Zahid said that to date, over 34,000 ex-NS trainees have signed up to join the Brigade.  Zahid also said that improvements to the NS curriculum were being made regularly.  He was responding to Bukit Bendera DAP MP Liew Chin Tong’s claim that the NS curriculum was done hastily.


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/27/nation/11554695&sec=nation