THIRTY-one Malaysian nationals who fell victim to a fraudulent job-recruitment syndicate in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been moved to a secure location by the Royal Thai Army, paving the way for their return home.
In a statement, the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok confirmed that all those rescued are now safe and will be repatriated to Malaysia in the near future.
Deputy Chief of Mission Bong Yik Jui and Chief of Chancery Jarin Sijaya met the group on 8 December following their evacuation from Myawaddy.
Local media reports indicate that the process of bringing the group home, stranded for weeks along the Myanmar–Thailand border, is expected to take at least a fortnight.
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, was quoted as saying the timeline reflects the need to resolve issues concerning detention, court procedures, fines and temporary holding measures imposed because the victims had entered Thailand unlawfully.
Earlier, the Secretary-General of the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation, Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim, had said there had been no fresh developments in efforts to move the group to safety, noting that Thai border authorities had yet to grant the victims entry — a hurdle that had delayed rescue attempts.
The group had been in a highly precarious state after being expelled from the scam operators’ compound amid armed clashes in the region.
Forced to shelter along a riverbank in cold conditions of between 13 and 17 degrees Celsius and with insufficient food, their health and safety had been at serious risk before the intervention.
Separately, Malaysia’s athletes competing at the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok have been urged to maintain their focus on winning medals despite ongoing armed clashes along the Thailand–Cambodia frontier.
The Foreign Minister emphasised that the national contingent’s safety is assured, as all Games venues are located well away from the border tensions.
“Athletes do not need to worry about their safety even though tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are ongoing,” he said.
“The Games are being held in Bangkok and Chonburi, which are far from the fighting at the border between the two countries.
“So, parents, guardians and SEA Games athletes themselves need not be concerned about their safety, because Bangkok and Chonburi are safe and a long way from the conflict zone,” he told reporters after presenting welfare assistance at the Rantau Community Hall in his Rembau constituency late this afternoon.
Mohamad, who is also the Member of Parliament for Rembau, said the clashes were confined to the frontier and did not affect any competition sites. He noted that the Foreign Ministry had issued a travel advisory urging Malaysians to avoid areas experiencing heightened tensions along the border.
“Therefore, athletes in Thailand must stay away from the Thailand–Cambodia border to prevent any untoward incidents,” he said.
The 2025 SEA Games run from 9 to 20 December, followed by the ASEAN Para Games from 20 to 26 January next year. Malaysia has sent 1,142 athletes and 515 officials to the SEA Games, while the Para Games contingent will comprise 236 athletes and 117 officials.
The national team has set a target of 200 medals across all colours, with several events already under way this week. - December 12, 2025
