Rela not just a helping hand

PUTRAJAYA: With some 3.04 million members in its fold, the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) concedes that there will be some "black sheep" among them.
"We have a stringent process in the selection of members whereby those who sign up are vetted by the National Registration Department (NRD) to ensure they are Malaysian, the Prisons Department to check if they have a criminal record, the Immigration Department for checks if they are blacklisted for issues such as bankruptcy and then the National Drug Agency to determine if they have a record of drug related offences," Rela director-general Zulkifli Abidin told theSun.
He said if the public was dissatisfied with the conduct of its members, they can channel their grouses by writing to its complaints bureau or to the district Rela commander and not take "matters into their own hands".
Rela was drawn into public attention last year when three of its members aged 19, 21 and 27 were assaulted by a 29-year-old businessman with a Datuk Sri title.
Zulkifli declined comment on the case as it was on court trial when the businessman, Liow Soon Hee, 29, was charged with assault on Nov 3.
"There is a lack of understanding by the public on the role of Rela. When they are on duty, they are considered civil servants and are protected by specific laws. Refusing orders of Rela personnel on duty amounts to the offence of "obstructing a civil servant from performing his or her duty".
Zulkifli said Rela's new role as the "third line of defence" in safeguarding the borders of Sabah and Sarawak is a paradigm shift to the duties it is commonly associated with, earning its existence greater prominence.
"This is a recognition to us. Years ago, we were playing the role of ensuring smooth traffic flow at events such as weddings. We are always seen as doing such jobs and to some, such duties are considered small and perhaps insignificant although it's an important one. The presence of Rela members help keep road traffic in order. During the first Bersih rally in 2007, about 5,000 Rela members assisted the police in maintaining traffic."
theSun reported on Friday that about 650 Rela members will be tasked as the "third line of defence" to complement the police and armed forces in keeping check on intruders at the East Malaysia - Indonesia borders, acting as the additional "eyes and ears" of security forces from Jan 1.
Zulkifli said Rela also plays a big role at unmanned or short-take-off and landing (STOL) airfields in Sabah and Sarawak where its personnel maintain safety and security.
"They are specially trained by Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB) and I am told without the presence of our personnel, the aircraft will be unable to land and take-off. They are also trained in fire-fighting." he said.
He said Rela also assists the Immigration Department at the northern and southern checkpoints in the country.
"Rela is also deployed when there are natural disasters such as floods and landslides. Our honorary and associate members had also contributed immensely, playing advisory roles and giving out donations during such difficult times." he said.
The 3.04 million members in Rela nationwide managed by a mere 1,111 permanent or full-time civil staff.
Asked how the small number of permanent staff managed the huge number of volunteers, Zulkifli said management structured similar to the military is in place at each district headed by a captain, a lieutenant and platoon leaders, all who are volunteers.
In 2006, to attract more professionals such as doctors, lawyers and media practitioners into the volunteer body for advisory roles, honorary and associate memberships were introduced.
There are about 3,000 such members in Rela and though they do not have command powers, they play the role of advisers and consultants.
Approvals for honorary memberships are issued by the Home Minister while associate memberships are by the Rela Director-General.