Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this would contribute towards the number of Rela members in the state and train them to assist the police and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) in various ways, including border control.
“The number of police and ATM personnel is not as big as Rela which comprises 3.05 million members nationwide, of which 345,000 are here in Sarawak.
“A Rela border unit would be established soon to assist the two enforcement agencies in border control particularly in areas where the police and army are not based,” he was quoted as saying in the Borneo Post.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating the “Leaders Meet Rela” ceremony for Lundu district at Dewan Masyarakat Lundu here yesterday.
Also present were Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg, Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Human Resources Minister Richard Riot Jaem and Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.
Zahid, who is also home minister, said with Rela’s assistance in border control, the authorities would be able to effectively tackle the entry of illegal immigrants and criminals, and the smuggling of subsidised goods, drugs and weapons.
In his speech later, Abang Johari said Sarawak would match the RM20 million allocation given by Putrajaya to Rela in Sarawak.
The chief minister said the state would cough up RM16 million to top up the allocation of RM4 million Adenan had earlier promised Rela.
“We (state government) will add RM16 million to match the RM20 million which is allocated by the federal government,” said Abang Johari.
The RM20 million allocation from Putrajaya was announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak during a similar event held at the Borneo Convention Centre on May 4 last year.
Abang Johari justified the increase in allocation to the services rendered by Rela personnel and the huge number of its members in Sarawak.
“Rela members in Sarawak are similar to BN leaders as they are ever ready to defend and develop the state in a whim,” said Abang Johari to the applause of some 6,000 Rela members at the event.