PEOPLE’S Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) are not placed in dangerous situations, said Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed today.

“I want to say here that the Rela officers there are not placed in a situation at risk to them.

“Secondly they are not placed in any strategic, tactical or frontline operation… they are only placed behind the lines to ensure the frontlines are safe.

“Thirdly they have been given relevant training and fourthly, they are coordinating with the police to ensure peace at the Esszone,” Nur Jazlan said at a press conference after a Rela event.

Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Mohd Shafie Apdal had previously in a video questioned the federal government’s move to deploy Rela personnel at the Esszone in Sabah east coast.

In the video, Shafie had said Rela personnel were only used to help control traffic at government and private functions, which was followed by laughter from the crowd.

Since then, several police reports have been lodged against Shafie and he has been urged to retract his statement.

Nur Jazlan added that Shafie was ignorant of the RM6 million that has been allocated for Rela officers for further training and other improvements.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman reportedly announced the allocation for the state’s Rela to build a second training centre in Sandakan.

“It was an allocation from last year, and RM3 million has already been released last year, and another RM3 million will be given out soon,” Nur Jazlan said. – January 24, 2018.