Tens of thousands of Malaysian teenagers put university plans, vacations and budding romances on hold yesterday to become the first inductees in a national service program.

　　Draftees said their goodbyes to family and friends before being bussed to 41 jungle training camps where they will spend the next three months.

　　The government says national service - including lessons in good conduct and unarmed combat, but no firearms training - is aimed at bolstering racial integration and instilling patriotism. Opposition groups worry recruits will be subjected to pro-government propaganda.

　　"We are not trying to train these children to be soldiers," said Michael Yei, commandant at the Kuala Kubu Baru camp as the first recruits arrived. "What we want is to make them racially integrated and transform them into future leaders."

　　About 28,000 17- and 18-year-olds reported for duty yesterday, the first batch of roughly 85,000 high school graduates born in 1986 who were called up by random ballot to take part in this year's program.

　　The government says the program will promote harmony among Malaysia's multicultural youth and help prevent religious fundamentalism from taking root. Most of Malaysia's 25 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims, with large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities that practise Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity.

　　The program will make Malaysia "stronger, more united and we will build a younger generation which is more outstanding," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said at a send-off for recruits in northern Kelantan state.

　　(The Associated Press)