THE Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) will appeal to Taiwan’s authorities for assistance in protecting Malaysians allegedly exploited by criminal syndicates after being lured through deceptive employment opportunities.
MHO secretary-general Datuk Hishammuddin Hashim said the organisation would submit a memorandum to Taiwan’s government representatives in Malaysia in the near future following a series of cases involving Malaysians detained by Taiwanese authorities after allegedly being manipulated into criminal activities.
He said MHO would gather affected victims and their families before bringing them to the Taiwan Embassy in Malaysia, including the family of Muhammad Shah Iskandar, 20, who became the latest Malaysian allegedly caught in the exploitation scheme after being detained by Taiwanese authorities on June 5.
"The main purpose of MHO is to request the Taiwan government to provide assistance to victims of exploitation in the name of humanity.
"We have no intention of interfering with legal provisions in Taiwan and we respect the sovereignty of their laws. However, we want to inform the Taiwan government that there is a form of crime involving exploitation that has turned Malaysians into victims.
"The most worrying issue is that Malaysians who have fallen victim have been used and subjected to severe punishment in that country," he said.
Hishammuddin said the syndicates involved had carried out their operations in a systematic manner by deceiving Malaysians with job offers and other opportunities before exploiting them for criminal purposes.
"MHO also wants to inform the authorities in Taiwan that the main masterminds or 'mastermind' of these cases have ultimately escaped investigation and prosecution after they exploited Malaysians who were offered employment opportunities or other offers that may have existed.
"Therefore, in the spirit of friendship between the governments of Malaysia and Taiwan, we would like to seek assistance and cooperation so that the authorities in that country can help Malaysians who have become victims of these criminal syndicates," he said.
He said MHO believed the reported cases could be part of a wider problem and did not rule out the possibility of more Malaysians falling victim to similar schemes.
Hishammuddin advised Malaysians to exercise caution when considering overseas part-time jobs or short-term assignments, as syndicates were believed to be using such offers as a means to deceive and exploit victims.
In the latest case, personal bodyguard Muhammad Shah was allegedly deceived by his new employer into withdrawing money using three ATM cards provided to him.
Muhammad Shah, who was accompanying his new employer as part of his duties, was detained by police after making withdrawals using the cards supplied by the employer, just two days after arriving in Taiwan.
At least three other cases have also been identified involving a similar modus operandi, where Malaysians working under new employers were instructed to withdraw money from automated teller machines (ATMs) using cards provided by those employers. - August 1, 2026
