Rela must get its act together

I wrote this response to Razali Haji Mohamed Yassin who was obviously covering for his boss, the DG of Rela.

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I refer to the letter written by Razali Haji Mohamed Yassin (The Star, June 19) who wrote on behalf of the Director-General of Rela, in response to my comments regarding the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia.

His letter only further highlights and demonstrates the issues behind the concerns of Malaysians anxious of the perceived increased in powers entrusted to Rela.

In fact, several of Razali's points contradicted those of his boss, the Director General in the latter's published interview (The Star, June 10), and are poor reflections of an organisation which is supposed to be involved in the enforcement of the law and assisting the police.

Razali's statement that the authority given to Rela since March 2005 is limited to only 290 Rela officers appointed by the Government, is a case in point. It is very obvious that the people at the platoon level didn’t get the memo concerning this as there have been too many occasions during operations where individual Rela members have, imbued with perceived vested authority, acted with impunity like "little Napoleons" and with little regard or respect of issues such as human rights and dignity.

Razali stated that there was confusion of Rela's authority which has raised questions about the integrity of Rela. I would agree to this and add that there also exists continued confusion within Rela's own ranks as to what it can and cannot do, which is an injustice to the men and women who have contributed their time to be part of this voluntary body. I refer back to the interview with the DG, who accurately relates and appears to condone the actual conduct (not wearing uniforms and being enraged at being asked for identification) of officers and members during undercover operations against illegal immigrants.

However, I am glad that Razali clarified and highlighted the requirement for the wearing of Rela uniforms during operations and the need for all personnel to produce identification when requested to do so by the public. These two critical issues, featured prominently and alarmingly during the interview with the DG, are necessary to prevent the abuse of power and corruption.

It is unfortunate that Rela, which has and continues to be a tremendous asset involved in social development programmes and humanitarian operations from the individual village up to the national level, has been dragged into the issue of illegal immigrants. Razali implies in his letter that illegal immigrants are exclusively responsible for the spread of social ills and diseases in this country, and that Rela needs to help the Government in dealing with this problem. I content that Rela has no role in this and should not be involved.

Razali should also drop the paternalistic tone in his response ("everyone should be thankful for Rela's contribution..") as his letter has failed to address the Malaysian public's and my own continued concern and reality of allegations of violence, abuse of power, and criminality amongst a group of individuals who are insufficiently trained. The continued disconnect of the policy makers in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the failure to acknowledge and address the reality on the ground is an alarming yet familiar trend which must speedily be addressed.

I have tremendous respect to the thousands of Malaysians who have volunteered their time and energy to any organisation which contributes to the well-being of the country. However, refusing to address the concerns of the public regarding the proper conduct of Rela members and failing to provide and enforce clear guidelines, training, direction and mandate to this voluntary body, is a continued disservice to these women and men.

To earn the respect of the Malaysian public, Rela must get its act together

Response from Rela

Yesterday, The Star published a response to my and somebody else's letter, written by Razali Mohamed Yassin of Rela, Ministry of Home Affairs:

Rela doing a great job
The Star (19 June 2007)

I REFER the letters written by Azrul Mohd Khalib (The Star, June 12) and SH (The Star, June 13).
Rela welcomes any comments, ideas or responses that can improve its efficiency and role.

Up to May 31, Rela had 480,023 participants, of which 43,1867 are Relawans and 48,156 Relawatis. They come from different backgrounds and education levels and are of various ages.

The authority that was given to Rela since March 2005 was for only the 290 Rela officers appointed by the Government. The 480,023 Rela participants were not vested with this authority.

This has to be clarified, as many parties are confused over Rela's authority so much so it has become a major issue, raising questions about the integrity of Rela.

Rela members are only given the authority when they are involved in operations that are led by at least one Rela officer.

Their authority will only last during the duration of the operation and shall expire once the operation is completed.

Members of Rela are required to wear their uniforms during any operation and the public can request identification from members of Rela if they are suspicious of their actions.

A Rela member can also be identified by his name and platoon number that appears on the uniform.
Between Jan 1 and June 13, Rela arrested 18,445 illegal immigrants in 3,713 operational areas.
The increasing number shows the commitment and sacrifices of Rela members who are willing to help the Government deal with the influx of illegal immigrants.

An allegation that Rela members are only interested in the payment of RM80 for each illegal immigrant is not true.

The Government has also declared that the problem of illegal immigrants is the second biggest problem after drugs.

This issue is serious as illegal immigrants cause problems for the country, including the spread of social ills and diseases.

Everyone should be thankful for Rela's contribution, which has to be seen positively because there have not been enough volunteers in this country.

Rela's sense of patriotism and responsibility has to be respected and it is unfair if some of us try to deny its contribution and call for the force to be disbanded.

Rela is not just involved in operations but also in social activities, human development and socio-economic programmes.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), associations and individuals should help Rela overcome its weaknesses and come out with suggestions, ideas or guidance so that the Government can continue to support and protect Rela against unnecessary criticism or comments.

The suggestion to disband Rela is not practical.

RAZALI BIN HAJI MOHAMED YASSIN,
On the behalf of the Director-General,
Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia (RELA)
Ministry of Home Affairs.