Rela DG apologises for perceived insult

PETALING JAYA: People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) directorgeneral Zulkifli Abidin (pix) has apologised for his perceived insult of the armed forces during his speech at a function in Kuantan on Sunday.

The incident, Zulkifli said, occurred before he was able to complete his sentence.

“If I was allowed to complete my sentence, I wanted to say that no matter how attractive Rela uniforms may be, it can never be equated to the sacrifice of our military to the country,” he said.

“The matter being viralled is not right. I have never stated that Rela is better than the armed forces.

“During my speech, I had mentioned that the Rela uniform compared with the military uniform looks more attractive,” he told theSun when contacted yesterday.

A video of the incident, which has since gone viral, showed several men jeering and threatening Zulkifli during his speech where he allegedly insulted military personnel at the programme with Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Rela members and army veterans in Kuantan.

Reiterating that he had no intention of insulting the role or contributions of the military to the country, Zulkifli said that following the outburst from the crowd, he had apologised profusely.

The video which was posted on Facebook has since garnered over 600 shares at press time.