Rela does the job well

Malaysian immigration officials today defended a volunteer corps used to round up illegal migrants after a US rights group labelled it "abusive" and called for it to be immediately disbanded.
The US-based Human Rights Watch alleged Rela, a 500,000-strong volunteer citizen task force that assists officials, was using violence and extortion against foreigners and is responsible for numerous cases of illegal detentions.
But the immigration department's enforcement chief, Ishak Mohamed, downplayed the alleged abuses and defended the corps, saying Rela "played a huge and important role" in ridding Malaysia of illegals.
"Illegal migrants are Malaysia's public enemy... and Rela has helped us tremendously in our efforts to reduce the influx of illegal migrants here," Ishak told AFP.
"Whatever techniques they employ are the same as our immigration officers. All I can say is Rela does the job well and is a great help to us," he said.
In a statement released on its website, Human Rights Watch said Rela volunteers, whose primary task is to detain undocumented migrant workers, were using "unnecessary force and illegal policing practices."
It accused Rela of breaking into migrants' lodgings in the middle of the night without warrants, brutalising inhabitants, extorting money, and confiscating valuables before detaining them as "illegal immigrants."
Rela members are now subjected to body checks before and after raids to ensure they do not steal or plant evidence.
Volunteers are also not allowed to carry cell phones or weapons.
Rela was set up in 1972 under the Home Affairs Ministry to help maintain public order. - AFP