REPORT LODGED OVER SALE OF RELA RANKS
Those who paid for honorary ranks urged to aid police in investigations
FAREZZA HANUM RASHID KUALA LUMPUR news@nst.com.my
PEOPLE’S Volunteer Corps (Rela) directorgeneral Zulkifli Abidin has lodged a police report against one of his members for allegedly selling honorary ranks to some 20 people.
He is urging those who paid for the honorary ranks to come forward to assist police in their investigations and to lodge reports as well.
This follows Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s revelation that a Rela member had been selling honorary ranks for between RM10,000 and RM30,000 each.
Zulkifli told the New Straits Times yesterday that he had lodged the police report on behalf of Rela, emphasising that it was not the corps’s practice to sell ranks, honorary or otherwise.
He said what was most important now was for those who had paid for the honorary ranks to come forward to lodge reports or assist police in investigations.
Zulkifli said he was not sure whether those who had paid for the ranks had come forward or not after Zahid advised them to do so on Thursday.
“The Rela headquarters has received complaints on the matter but those involved have to report individually (to police),” he added.
Internally, Zulkifli said, Rela would look into its standard operating procedures (SOP) to see whether improvements were needed in its rank awarding process.
“As it is, the process is already a strong one. Rela honorary ranks are only given after a committee determines the eligibility of an individual based on his contribution to the country, society and Rela itself.
“The last stage would be the approval of the deputy prime minister, who is also the home minister,” he said.
Zulkifli advised the people to be wary and not fall prey to anyone offering to sell them honorary ranks.
“I would like to stress that honorary ranks are awarded based on one’s contributions... it is not a business,” he said.
Zulkifli said the case of the Rela member who sold honorary ranks took place in Sabah and was believed to be an isolated case.