Netizens shocked to find themselves listed as ‘Rela volunteers’

 

A Rela volunteer helping with Covid-19 prevention. The volunteers are often used for public order duties. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Several people have been shocked to find that their names had been registered with the Rela volunteers corps without their knowledge.

Broadcast journalist K Selvenraz told FMT he was listed as a Rela member although he had not registered to be a volunteer.

“My name appeared after I typed in my MyKad number at the Rela website”, he said, referring to the section where volunteers can check their registration. “How did they get my details?”

Selvenraz was one of several Malaysians who told FMT they had been surprised to find their details listed.

The link to check on Rela membership is here.

Rela is a federal government organisation which comes under the home ministry. The organisation enlists volunteers to help maintain public order. Volunteers are often found helping to control traffic at public events, or checking documents of migrant workers.

A woman who only wanted to be known as Lydia was also surprised to see herself listed as a volunteer, saying while she had heard of the agency, she wasn’t familiar with what it does.

Lydia, who works for a marketing department, said she had never volunteered at any government agency.

She is demanding a full explanation. “How did I sign up as a volunteer? And who approved it?” she said.

Another netizen, Darshini Kandasamy, said she, too, had just found out she was also listed as a Rela volunteer.

Darshini, who is editor of the Between the Lines newsletter, said she was not pleased and “very concerned as this is a body that’s under the federal government.”

She said one would not expect personal information to be misused. “Now it’s got me anxious to know how this happened,” she added. “Where are the safeguards to prevent this from happening?” She said data protection needs to be taken seriously.

Social media users also raised the issue on Twitter after they discovered their names being listed as volunteers.

User Oodie wrote: “I tried checking mine & lo and behold. I am a Rela officer since 2011. Where are my allowances? Where do I get my uniform from?”

FMT is awaiting comments from the home ministry. - FMT