DAP MP for Tanjong, Ng Wei Aik, has slammed Rela and the Fire and Rescue Services Department for their 'indiscipline' during the state’s recent Chinese New Year celebrations.

In connection with this, Ng said the organising committee had lodged a police report against a Rela officer who failed to put enough members to be on duty during the event.

He claimed the officer involved collected RM10,000 from the organising committee as payment for Rela services.

“Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Urban Wellbeing, Local Government and Housing Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan should be taken to task for the behaviour of their officers,” Ng said at a press conference in Penang today.

“The traffic flow during the event was affected due to the lack and absence of Rela personnel,” he said.

Based on the police report lodged, RM10,608 was paid to the Rela North-East District to deploy 59 Rela members from 7pm on Feb 12 till 1am on Feb 14.

However, only 15 members were on duty part-time and no one came to replace them, organising committee member Ewe Chor Keat claimed.

“I tried to contact the officer responsible and bit could not, so we could only try to convince the 15 members to stay on and pulled another 20 members from other places to help the 15,” Ewe said at the same press conference.

"It is a very serious matter for Rela officers to disappear after payment for their services has been collected,” Ng said.

Shortage of funds

Ng also said that some of the officers were not disciplined as they were not in full uniform and there was no officer in-charge.

Ng also condemned Gerakan leaders for saying that the Lantern Festival organiser had marked up the cost of hiring Rela personnel for the event.

He said the organisers were already short of funds as they only managed to raise RM248,000 instead of the needed RM315,000.

Despite the shortage, the Lantern Festival organiser still spent RM4,000 to hire Rela members as security for the five-day event.

Ng also lambasted the Fire and Rescue Services Department for collecting money from the organisers but failing to turn up for duty.