Give Rela a bigger role to play

V.K.Chin The Star Asia News Network Selangor, Malaysia

The reliance on foreign labor is a fact and it is better for the Government to introduce the necessary measures to deal with this problem. In fact, with the rising security and social ills created by the large presence of foreign workers, it may be necessary to declare an emergency on this.

This is perhaps the only way for the Government to concentrate its resources to handle this thorny issue that has created so much fear and uncertainty among the local population.

Malaysians are thoroughly fed up with the misconduct, both criminal and social, of some of these foreigners some of whom have little regard for local laws and customs.

They look to the enforcement agencies to apprehend those who have broken the laws and are increasingly disturbed by the presence of so many foreign nationals who have grouped together in certain areas especially in the Federal Capital and the Klang Valley.

It is also clear by now that trouble does not come from the Indonesians alone. It is true that they are the most visible and responsible for most of the criminal acts being committed by foreigners. This is because they form the largest group among the foreigners and therefore are likely to be involved in unbecoming behavior.

The presence of other groups such as those from Myanmar, the Philippines and Africa is also a growing concern as they are just as likely to create difficulties as well for the enforcement agencies.

There could also be disputes and fights between these different foreign groups who may give trouble if they should be working side by side. This is another concern that the Government and employers will have to face in recruiting their workers.

This is another issue that cannot be ignored and will complicate matters for the police and the immigration personnel. The police and the army may not be sufficient to handle the situation due to limited resources.

Rela and similar organizations must be mobilized to help in checking the number of illegal immigrants entering the country. With a few hundred thousand members even spread out throughout the peninsula, Rela is in a good position to render assistance in this delicate job.

It has requested recently that it be given the authority to arrest the illegal immigrants. This is a reasonable request and should be given a sympathetic hearing.

It is obvious that its members are prepared to play their role in this particular instance and it is only appropriate that the government should respond positively.

Members of this volunteer force are particularly useful in patrolling the border areas and coastlines favored by illegals as entry points. They can also be the eyes and ears of the Government in detecting the movement and presence of such illegal immigrants.

Recent experience has shown that the Africans may pose an even bigger threat to the enforcement officers, as they tend to be more aggressive than the other foreigners.

They have been terrorizing the residents and traders in certain parts of the city with impunity.

It may be necessary for the enforcement officers to use reasonable force to deal with them or else they will just defy the law and create a greater nuisance of themselves.

They must be shown that they just cannot hope to get away with any display of disobeying the law.

Once these foreigners know that the police and army personnel are prepared to be firm in taking action against those who break the law, they will certainly behave themselves in future or face the possibility of being hurt in the process.