GEORGE TOWN: Looking for better job opportunities, two youths were lured by their friend to work in Thailand and are now believed to be victims of a job scam.
They were allegedly working for a China syndicate for more than 16 hours a day without off days.
The youths will now have to pay a certain amount of money to the syndicate in order for them to be released.
A 49-year-old housewife, known as Por, said her 20-year-old son had not been home since he left for Thailand in July 2021.
“My son, who used to work as a waiter, suddenly told me on July 6 last year that he would follow a friend to work in Thailand the next day (July 7).
"At that time, I asked my son if it was safe to go to Thailand and he told me that his friend was working there and was paid well, so it was a reliable source of income.
“Although my son did not have a passport, he told me that the hiring company has taken care of everything, and asked the family not to be worried.
"On July 7, a van came to pick up my son and his friend.
“Within a week of my son’s departure, we could not contact him at all.
“He only contacted us a week after that but he did not disclose much about his situation,” she said during a press conference organised by Penang MCA public service and complaints bureau head Ooi Teik Liang.
Por added that she became suspicious and questioned her son when news broke that many people were being tricked into working abroad.
"After constant questioning, my son confessed that he was smuggled to Thailand, and after travelling to several places in Thailand, he believed he is now in the ‘Golden Triangle’ region.
“My son told me that he would like to come home but he would need to pay the syndicate RMB75,000 (RM48,868) for him to be released.
“He said even though he might be released, he will have to find his own way home,” she said.
Por said according to her son, the money needed for them to be released is different for each person, as it depends on work performance.
"If one person’s performance is better and they earn more money for the company, the money needed for them to be released will be lower.
“On the contrary, if their performance is poor, their fees will be higher,” she said.
Por said as long as her son followed the instructions of the syndicate, he would not be beaten up.
“I was told that there are people monitoring them at work every day, while the outside of the dormitory is monitored by CCTV.
“Only in the dormitory and during bath time, there is no CCTV and no one to monitor, so my son will use his mobile phone to communicate with us secretly.
“My son said he could not disclose the content of the work, or expose the environment of his workplace, otherwise he will be beaten up,” she said.
She said although she is unclear about her son’s job scope, she suspected that the syndicate that her son is currently working for is engaged in online gambling.
“My son told us that when he fell sick, he was only given medicine and not brought to see a doctor. The workers are allowed to rest in the dormitory, and resume work when they recover,” she said.
She said that when her son was first brought to Thailand, he was employed by a Malaysian company, and he only worked 12 to 13 hours a day, with occasional outings.
Por added th this changed a few months ago when they were managed by a Chinese company who made them work more than 16 hours a day.
Meanwhile, Ooi urged the public to be aware of job scams cases which are on the rise.
“We will work with the relevant ministries and authorities to bring them back.
“We will also keep in touch with the police and Interpol with the hope of bringing these victims back as soon as possible. We urge the public to be on high alert and not fall prey to job scams,” he said.
