Malaysia's immigration volunteers to be searched

The Straits Times, April 22, 2007


KUALA LUMPUR - Civilian volunteers who help catch illegal immigrants will routinely undergo body searches to prevent theft, after items were allegedly stolen from a group of would-be migrants, news reports said.

The new policy was announced by the government after police arrested eight members of a Malaysian volunteer force, known by its Malay acronym Rela, who allegedly stole the items from suspected Indonesian illegal immigrants in northern Perak state on Tuesday.

The force, which comprises more than 475,000 civilians nationwide, has helped police and immigration officers find and detain thousands of illegal immigrants in recent years. But human rights activists have often voiced concerns that most of the force's members are ill-trained and use violent tactics against suspects.

Deputy Home Minister Tan Chai Ho said Rela members have to be searched by officers leading them before and following every raid, The Star and New Straits Times newspapers reported on Sunday.

'We cannot condone abuse of power by Rela members and we will take steps to prevent a repeat of such incidents,' Mr Tan was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Government officials and police have repeatedly defended the use of the civilian volunteers, saying they have basic instructions on performing their duties and that human rights violations are rare.

Thousands of immigrants come to Malaysia, one of South-east Asia's wealthiest nations, seeking employment in plantations, construction sites, factories and other industries to escape poverty or instability in their home countries. -- AP