 Allowances for the People’s Volunteer Department (Rela) personnel surged to RM88 million in 2012 to facilitate government activities, the Auditor-General’s Report revealed. In 2011, allowances paid out came to a total of RM33 million. The RM55 million spike, which was a 63% increase, was also due to the increase in the allowance rate, which rose to RM7.80 an hour from the previous RM5.80 for officers. Personnel of other ranks, meanwhile, saw their allowances rise by RM2 to RM6 per hour. “In our opinion, the increase in allowance also shows that there are more active Rela members involved in security operations,” the report noted. Rela, which comes under the purview of the Home Ministry, also recorded three million personnel in 2012, compared with 2.8 million the year before. The department was reprimanded by the Auditor-General for not training volunteers and poor financial management, citing occasions when cash was brought back from the banks to Rela state offices without security escorts. “There was no approval for procurement of uniforms, which were not made through the Central Contract Panel System, and the management of uniforms was not in order,” the report noted. With regards to the uniforms, the auditors took issue with the purchase of 150,000 combat boots, adding that it was not the “best value for money”. “Stern action must be taken against the officer responsible for failure to adhere to financial regulations which forced the government to pay more than it should,” the report suggested. The Rakyat Post
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