KUALA LUMPUR: MCA public service and complaints bureau chief Datuk Michael Chong said Chinese primary and secondary schools will make efforts to encourage the community to sign up with the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela).Less then 20 per cent of the Chinese community had registered with Rela and of that, women made up less than 0.1 per cent, he told reporters after launching the Rela recruitment drive for the second time in the federal capital at Pudu Plaza, here yesterday.
Chong, who is also adviser to the Home Minister, said the ministry aimed to increase the overall Rela force from the 556,286 to 2.5 million by the year 2012.
Chong said the Chinese must change their traditional mindset of discouraging their children from becoming soliders.
“We need to educate the Chinese on Rela. One needs to acknowledge that in Rela, we are taught to be disciplined and work systematically together,” he added.
He said Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun had also taken the initiative to establish a group within the Wanita MCA to attract and promote Rela amongst Chinese women.
It was previously reported that as of April 30, of the total Rela members, 492,917 were men and 63,369 were women.
They consist of 346,352 Malays, 84,849 Chinese and 25,899 Indians. — Bernama