The Home Ministry is encouraging security services firms to hire Peoples Volunteers Corps (Rela) personnel instead of foreigners.

According to Home Ministry deputy chief secretary (security) Ahmad Fuad Ab Aziz, the move was a move to reduce the number of foreigners as security guards.

Speaking during a dialogue with media practitioners in Putrajaya today, Ahmad Fuad said security services firms could source replacements from Rela's one million personnel.

"Rela will supply its personnel to these companies. It will not set up its own security firm. Otherwise, all such companies will gulung tikar (wind up)," he said jokingly.

Also present during the dialogue was Rela director-general Zaidon Asmuni, who revealed that Rela will no longer perform neighbourhood patrols in accordance to a memorandum of understand (MOU) signed with security services firms.

In the past, Rela personnel can be engaged by village committees to perform night patrols in villages.

G azlan iven this, Ahmad Fuad said security firms can now service such areas by roping in Rela personnel but did not reveal details.

Border patrol

Additionally, Ahmad Fuad said the Home Ministry was in the midst of studying possible ways to widen the scope Rela's responsibility.

Among others, he said there was a proposal for the army to include Rela personnel in border patrols, particularly to curb timber smuggling and human trafficking.

"They will not be on the front line. Their priority is to guard borders such as those in Sabah and Sarawak which are very long," he said.

Ahmad Fuad is heading a special committee to study these proposals and discussions are currently underway between government departments.

The dialogue with media practitioners is the second one held this year and hosted by Rela in its new headquarters in Presinct 3, Putrajaya.