Senators, MPs given honorary Rela ranks

KUALA LUMPUR: Forty-three Dewan Rakyat lawmakers and 56 Dewan Negara senators were conferred honorary People’s Volunteers Corps (Rela) ranks by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat last night.

They included Dewan Negara president Datuk Seri S.A. Vigneswaran, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (Jeli), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Pensiangan), Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut), Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (Tanjung Malim) and Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The ceremony took place at Lembaga Tabung Haji headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak.

Masir, in delivering a speech by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the ranks were conferred in recognition of their influence and merits at national, ministerial and parliamentary levels.

Zahid said they were in a position to serve and build closer ties with the people through Rela.

“I hope that they will play their role and contribute their expertise to taking Rela to a higher standard, to be a reliable organisation for the people.”

He thanked those who contributed RM50,000 from their parliamentary funds to pay for digital camouflage fatigues for Rela volunteers.

He said volunteerism was flourishing, pointing to a 10,000strong attendance during a Rela anniversary celebration in Kota Kinabalu in February.

Zahid said as Rela volunteers who represented the grassroots, they (MPs) could transfer the department’s slogan Setia Berbakti to the government.

He said they could promote the spirit of volunteerism by participating in Rela programmes in their constituencies and creating more feel-good factor among the people.