[Activity on this Thursday] “Do you agree to strengthen RELA?” Public Hearing

The Ministry of Home Affairs intends to draft a new bill to strengthen RELA for catching undocumented migrant workers. Since 2005, RELA has been complained by residents and non-government organizations because cases of human rights abuse happened during raids.

Do you have any opinion? All are invited to voice out their comments on this issue.

Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri bercadang menggubal undang-undang baru untuk memperkuatkan kuasa RELA (Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia) dalam operasi menangkap pekerja asing yang tidak berdaftar. Semenjak tahun 2005, orang awam dan badan-badan bukan kerajaan telah mengadu bahawa RELA mencabuli hak asasi manusia semasa menjalankan operasi.

Apakah pandangan anda terhadap RELA? Orang awam dijemput hadir ke sesi pendengaran ini bagi menyuarakan pendapat masing-masing.

“DO YOU AGREE TO STRENGTHEN RELA?” PUBLIC HEARING

Respondents:

1) Dato' Siva Subramaniam
Ahli Suruhanjaya SUHAKAM

2) Dr. Irene Fernandez
Director of Tenaganita

Organiser / Penganjur :

Civil Rights Committee,
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor
Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)


Date / Tarikh : 16 August 2007 (Thursday / Hari Khamis)

Time / Masa ： 8:00 pm

Venue / Tempat : Auditorium Tingkat 1

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), No. 1 Jalan Maharajarela. ( Near Maharajarela Monorail Station; Click here for Map of KLSCAH )

For enquiry, please contact Mr Chan at：03-22746645

Rela (The volunteer corps) is a body formed up and governed by Emergency (Stipulated Powers) Act 1964 (Ikatan Relawan Rakyat), which is operating as a division under Home Affair Ministry. The role of Rela includes social development, social security and crime prevention. Since 2005,Rela was given tremendous power to clamp down illegal immigrants, for instance equipped with arms, seize and arrest a person, enter and search premises without warrant 。

Recently, Home Affair Ministry announced that a new bill for Rela - the volunteer corps will be tabled in parliament by this year, the ministry has proposed to strengthen Rela by setting up a new department to facilitate its operations and raids against illegal immigrants. CRC concerns this approach due to past notorious track records of Rela on nabbing illegal immigrants, where serious human rights abuse cases were lodged by local rights groups.

Hence, the hearing will be a good opportunity for local residents, migrant workers and refugee to share their experience of dealing with Rela. Eventually, constructive public opinions collected will be compiled and submit to home affair minister and members of parliament for consideration. We believe a constitutional democratic system would always appreciate public's opinion on national administration and ensures participatory democracy.