The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education launched the pilot of National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 at public universities on June 16, 2026, with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) as the first to implement it [1, 2, 3, 4]. The pilot programme involved 1,005 newly enrolled diploma students from UPSI's June 2026 intake, including 567 males and 438 females [1, 2, 3, 4].
The 2026 Budget allocated RM250 million to support the pilot implementation of National Service 3.0 at higher education institutions [1, 2, 3, 4]. After public universities, the ministry plans to expand the programme to polytechnics and community colleges, followed by private higher education institutions [1, 2, 3, 4].
Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Higher Education Minister, said the sequencing of involving private institutions will be determined by National Service Training Department director-general Maj Gen Datuk Marzuki Mokhtar. "He will determine the sequencing of the programme, including whether private institutions will participate alongside public universities. Following the involvement of public universities, private institutions may be included at a later stage," Zambry said [2].
The ministry aims to include state-owned private universities and government-linked company universities such as Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Multimedia University (MMU) in the programme [1, 2, 3, 4]. Zambry said, "We will also look at state-owned private higher education institutions, as every state has its own universities. There are also government-linked company universities such as Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Multimedia University and others, which will be given due attention" [2].
He emphasized that the focus currently remains on public higher education institutions. "At the MOHE level, we are fully committed to ensuring that PLKN 3.0 is implemented as effectively as possible. After that, we will also roll out the programme at polytechnics and community colleges. However, at this stage, our focus is on public higher education institutions first," Zambry added [2].
The pilot launch coincided with the launch of the book 'Nahas Gerik: UPSI Berduka' on June 16, 2026, which commemorates the victims of the UPSI student bus tragedy. On June 9, 2025, a bus carrying UPSI students collided with a second-hand Alza MPV near Gerik, killing 15 students [1, 2, 3, 4]. The book serves as a tribute to the victims and their families [1, 2, 3, 4].
