The National Service Training Programme, or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN), known locally as the Khidmat Negara ("National Service") was Malaysia's national service program under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. The programme was handled by the National Service Training Department, or "Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara" (JLKN) under the Minister of Defence (MINDEF). The conscripts are 18-year-old youths that are selectively drafted. The three-month program, which started in December 2003, began as way to encourage friendship between youths of certain ages from different races and ethnic groups and address concerns that the country's multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups who were seen of "becoming increasingly isolated from one another".