PUTRAJAYA, Sept 14 — University or college students volunteering with the Rela Corp will begin receiving allowances, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution announced today.

The allowance will not require additional funding, Saifuddin said at his ministry’s monthly assembly here. Instead, the allowances will come from existing allocations for the Home Ministry.

“We don’t want to delay this anymore. We will do our calculations and I think we won’t need any additional funding,” the minister told attendees, including members of the Rela Corp.

The planned fixed stipend will be part of a broader push to provide some form of per diem payment to uniformed volunteers.

Saifuddin said he had raised the proposal with the Finance Ministry, which is set to table the 2027 Federal Budget in three weeks’ time.

“I think it’s about time we take more care of their (volunteers) welfare...and based on my discussion with (Rela) director-general on our estimations for this and next year the allocation won’t be that big considering the number of RelaSIS members,” the minister said.

The quantum of the allowance will be similar to Rela Corp members, Saifuddin added. 

Ordinary Rela Corp members are paid an hourly rate of RM8, while officers are paid RM1.80 more per hour. 

The Home Ministry is now in the process of raising the allowance, the minister revealed. Saifuddin suggested the allowance for RelaSIS could either match or be slightly higher than the minimum wage, at RM1,700, although it is still subject to the Treasury’s approval.