LUMUT: The People’s Volunteer Corps, more popularly known as RELA to Malaysians, are usually associated with keeping public order during major events, but this time at the Perak MADANI Rakyat Programme 2025, their free haircut service has taken centrestage and become a star attraction.
The free haircut service at the Home Ministry (KDN) booth in Lumut Waterfront here is being offered to the first 40 visitors daily throughout the three-day event, Perak Rela director Razib Buhaini said, adding that the department always prioritised service to the public, no matter what the situation.
“This way, RELA can deliver its service... with a bit of help from us, it might help reduce costs for families and those who have financial difficulty in getting a haircut,” he told Bernama today, adding that haircuts these days cost between RM10 to RM15 per head.
He noted that the quality was on par with what existing barbers offered as the RELA members giving the haircuts are skilled barbers themselves.
“Those providing the haircuts all have the necessary barber skills.... our service also depends on requests of styles, but if there are those asking for over extreme styles, we don’t do it. At least we can keep your hair neat,” he said, pointing out that the haircuts were only for men.
A RELA member who was providing haircuts, Muhamad Zulhafiz Kamis, 34, said he signed up with RELA in 2016 with his barber skills.
He learned the craft by himself and now he was able to use it on a part time basis to help rural communities, especially those in his village in Beruas.
“My village is in a rural area, so barbers are quite far so I’m the one who provides the service,” he said, adding that he believed that RELA members needed to have a neat presentation to function as a bridge between the government and the public.
“It started out as my hobby when I joined RELA, we understand being presentable is important as we are an intermediary between the people and the government,” he said.
The Perak PMR 2025 is from 9 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and ends on 6 pm on Sunday. Government service booths operate from 9 am to 6 pm throughout the three-day event.
