I refer to Malaysiakini report Conflicting accounts of Rela raid on refugees.

The report says that a makeshift tent settlement in Putrajaya where Burmese asylum seekers - including about 20 women and children - were staying was demolished. Words could not describe my anger at this despicable act allegedly done by Rela and the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) enforcement officers.

I believe too much power has been given to Rela and council officers who, more often than not, abuse it with regards to helpless immigrants and poor hawkers. Make no mistake. I do not condone wrong doings by those immigrants and hawkers. But there have been reports of Rela personnel accused of beating up illegal workers, stealing from them and detaining legitimate foreign tourists.

Some of them were even allowed to carry guns .

From what I understand Rela members are made up of ordinary people over the age of 16. The scary part is anyone could apply to join. This shows that any Tom, Dick and Harry could be a Rela member and almost instantly be given the power to arrest and to carry guns. Accordingly, training is not compulsory in view of the large number of members.

When I compare these groups of enforcement officers, being given so much power and being armed in the case of Rela, with those of teachers it really boggles my mind.

When there were suggestions that teachers be empowered to cane students for disciplinary offences, there was a big hue and cry from the public. Many of them complained that some teachers may overstep their boundaries of power and may endanger the safety of the students. Till today, teachers are not allowed to 'arm' themselves with canes.

Tell me the logic of arming Rela personnel with firearms and giving them so much power to arrest, while teachers are not even allowed to carry a cane.

Teachers are made up of those who are given at least two years of training. Most of them are graduates except for some of the old ones. To be a Rela members, one need not have a high academic qualification. As I mentioned, training is not compulsory and if at all they do it, it is only for about 10 days.

Now we can judge for ourselves why there were so many police reports against them.