SIBU: Getting members of the People’s Vigilante Corps (Rela) trained to assist police in battling street crime will not make any headway if their incentive structure is not looked into as a starting point.

“This is because they will not be motivated or committed to take up the additional assignment if their well-being is not well taken care of,” Dr Ting Chek Ming, a former senior lecturer at a local university college said yesterday.

Ting said this when asked for his view on the government’s move to train Rela personnel to assist police in battling street crime.

He pointed out that even though Rela worked on a voluntary basis, some benefits must be given to them to get their commitment.

“Perhaps, a fixed sum of reasonable amount be given to them monthly. This will definitely come in handy if they have families to care for,” he suggested.

Otherwise, he reckoned the new arrangement would not go far.

Using an analogy he said: “You can bring a horse to the well. But how do you motivate it to drink?”

A school teacher Mohd Hattar Abet reckoned that the government’s move to train Rela members to assist police in battling street crime would help correct public perception that their role was confined to crowd or traffic control.

“Traditionally, members of the public owing to lack of awareness perceived that Rela personnel engaged themselves predominantly in regulating the crowd and traffic during huge celebration or government functions,” he said.

“Hence, with their new assignments, it will better improve their image in the eyes of the public and entice more youths to join the voluntary organisation,” he added.

He felt that Rela members were just as capable in assisting the police to help curb street crimes if given the opportunity.

“As it is, they must first be given the proper training in order to sharpen their skills in combating street crimes,” Hatta said when asked for his view on the government’s move to train Rela members to assist police in battling street crime.

Among others, he said with more manpower patrolling the street, would be criminals would think twice about committing crime.

Furthermore, with more uniformed personnel around, people would feel much safer when walking on the street, he said.

The way he saw it, it could help bring down street crime cases.

Towards this end, he gave the thumbs-up to the idea as it aimed at providing better security and safety to members of the public.

An administrative executive, Tang Siu Ling believed that such a move would help give people particularly women more reasons to walk on the street.

“As women, we are worried when walking on the street as you may never know that someone might just come from behind and snatch your handbag.

“Getting snatched is one thing, but what if we sustain injuries during the scuffle?” she asked.

Tang, who graduated from a public university in Sabah, said she felt safer walking on the street there compared to Sibu.

Thus, she said the move was timely as people here would have an improved sense of security.

Among others, she felt having more uniformed personnel on the street would help reduce street crimes. A shipping executive, Augustine Muling believed the new arrangement would help take the load of the police in combating street crimes.

“I must say this is a good idea as it can help reduce street crimes.

“With increased manpower on the street, would-be criminals particularly snatch thieves would be kept at bay,” he said.

Earlier on, Sibu District Rela Officer Lieutenant Colonel Moses Sipan described the move as positive and timely.

However, according to the district Rela officer, they had yet to receive any official instruction on the matter.

Elaborating on their current scope of service, he said they also rendered assistance to other government agencies for instance, the National Anti-Dadah Agency and did not confine themselves to helping the police only.

Moses pointed out that they had the required manpower which they could mobilise in the event the local authorities sought their assistance.

To a question, he said he does not foresee any problem with the new arrangement (getting Rela members trained to help police curb street crimes).

Moses pointed out that their members had already undergone basic courses on operations. They had been involved in roadblocks, beat patrols and others, he said.

Meanwhile, the government is making the fight against street crimes a priority and aims at reducing the incidence of such cases by 20 per cent by the end of next year.

For that, Rela members would be given training so that they could be roped in to assist police in battling street crime.