Police report lodged against Shafie over viral Rela dig

Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal was today urged to apologise to members of the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) at the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSzone) for belittling their roles and saying that they were all immigrants.

Kalabakan Rela communication chief Saad Razak said a police report had been lodged over Shafie's statement in the video clip that went viral since last night, and wanted him to retract the statement.

“I received the video clip via WhatsApp application at 8am today in which Shafie mentioned that Rela members are not up to par in using guns, do not know how to shoot, or to detonate bombs, instead what Rela members know were how to man traffic during gatherings,” he said when met by reporters after lodging a police report with 83 Rela members at the Tawau district police station here today.

Razak said in the 21-second video, Shafie also claimed that Rela members in ESSZone would vote by post, and the allegations seemed to cast doubt over citizenship of Rela members.

“The allegations are baseless as all Rela members are locals and we vote privately,” he said.

In September last year, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government agreed to mobilise 6,148 Rela officers and personnel to assist in the surveillance of security forces in 10 districts located in ESSzone.

- Bernama