500 Rela members to be deployed for duty at border areas

PUTRAJAYA: Some 500 members of the Malaysian Volunteer Department (Rela) will be deployed to help the General Operations Force (PGA) maintain security at the five border areas in the country starting next year, said Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said the five border areas involved the entry points in Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kelantan and Perlis.

The pilot stage of the deployment project, involving 90 members, since November 2020 and the "roll out" of up to 500 members would start next year, he told reporters after an official visit to the Rela headquarters here today.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin said a total of 188,303 Rela officers and members have been deployed since last Oct 15 for duties at flood evacuation centres (PPS) and to carry out patrol in flood-affected areas in four states.

"For this month (December) alone, a total of 3,173 Rela members have been assigned for the two duties following the northeast monsoon phenomenon," he said.

-- BERNAMA