LAHAD DATU, Sept 29 (Bernama) — About 500 officers and personnel of the People’s Volunteer Corps in Sabah are to participate soon in a pioneer project where they will assist security agencies to monitor security in the 10 districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who announced this here today, said the Rela officers and personnel would serve as the second liners in monitoring security in the ESSZone that has a coastline stretching over 1,700 kilometres.
“Their involvement in assisting the security agencies was approved at a meeting today of the ESSCom (Eastern Sabah Security Command) Advisory Board today. The Rela director-general himself made a presentation on the security plan at the meeting.
“Nevertheless, we must have the confidence that the enforcement agencies will continue to discharge their duties and Rela will assist to monitor security round the clock in designated locations,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is co-chairman of the ESSCom Advisory Board along with Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, spoke to reporters after he and Musa chaired the advisory board meeting here today.
National Security Council director-general Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zain; Sabah state secretary Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman; Chief of Staff at Malaysian Armed Forces headquarters Lt Gen Datuk Abdul Halim Jalal; Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim; Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Indera Zulkifili Abu Bakar; Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din and ESSCom commander Datuk Hazani Ghazali also attended the meeting.
Ahmad Zahid said 6,148 active Rela officers and personnel throughout Sabah would be mobilised to assist the security agencies to monitor security in the ESSZone after the implementation of the pioneer project.
Altogether, Sabah had 121,888 registered Rela officers and personnel, he added.
Ahmad Zahid said the government would announce the implementation of the pioneer project soon and that for a start preparations had been made, such as the training of the Rela officers and personnel.
“Rela members know the terrain where they are located. We realise that training is necessary on the legal and security aspects and this would be carried out as soon as possible,” he said.
On the role to be played by the Rela officers and personnel as the second liners, Ahmad Zahid said they would be involved in social and community engagement.
Today’s meeting also decided on an upgrade of the posts of the General Operations Force and Operations Planning Committee.
It also decided that the problem of shortage of logistics supplies for daily operations be addressed immediately so that it did not adversely affect the spirit of the security forces working in the ESSZone.
The meeting agreed that the level of security in eastern Sabah was important and had to be closely monitored and there should be an improvement in terms of providing adequate assets, simulation training and standard operating procedures in the ESSZone to maintain security in Sabah waters.
— BERNAMA
