Lack of info, high-risk locations among hurdles in rescuing job scam victims: foreign minister

KUALA LUMPUR – The challenges in rescuing job scam victims overseas include difficulty in accessing high-risk areas and lack of information on the whereabouts of the victims, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.

In a written parliamentary response to Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (Lenggong-BN), Saifuddin said the hurdles intensify as the victims are constantly being moved from one location to another by the syndicate.

He said all the complaints received by the Foreign Ministry have been channelled to the Malaysian representatives overseas for further action.

“However, this process is subject to the laws and procedures of the country involved, which will take time,” he said.

Saifuddin said 99 victims are still being identified as of September 22.

“Out of the 301 reports we received on job scam victims in foreign countries, 202 have been rescued, with 168 of them back in Malaysia and 34 are waiting to return.”

He said among the countries that have the highest number of reported cases is Cambodia with 158 cases, followed by Myanmar with 59 cases, Laos with 56 cases, and Thailand with 28 cases.

“Out of that number, we have rescued 153 people from Cambodia, five from Myanmar, 28 from Laos and 16 from Thailand,” he said.

Saifuddin said the Malaysian diplomatic missions in these countries have been active and cooperative with the hosts to identify, locate, and rescue all the victims who are still under the control of syndicate groups.

Recently, it was reported that some 261 Malaysians who had been victims of job scam syndicates were rescued from Cambodia, with 171 of them brought back to Malaysia while 90 were still waiting for the repatriation process.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation and the Malaysian Community Crime Care plan to submit a memorandum to the United Nations Office in Putrajaya, calling attention to the job scams and human trafficking syndicates.

Saifuddin also said Foreign Ministry has applied for allocation in the 2023 budget to fund efforts to rescue the victims still stuck overseas. – The Vibes, October 6, 2022