Saifuddin: Special committee on foreign job scams to hold first meeting on Sept 22

PETALING JAYA: The special committee set up by the government to act on job scam syndicates trafficking Malaysians abroad will hold its first meeting on Thursday (Sept 22) with all the agencies involved, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (pic).

In a statement issued on Thursday (Sept 22), the Foreign Affair Minister said that he had directed the secretary general to the Foreign Affairs Ministry Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin to chair the first meeting on his behalf.

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Saifuddin, who is currently attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said that the special committee would work closely with the police and its foreign missions with constant media updates.

"I had chaired a virtual meeting with the Malaysian Ambassadors and Charge d'affaires ad interims in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam on Sept 19 to prepare the notes for Abdul Latiff to explain to the Cabinet on the issue pertaining to the job scams (preying on Malaysians in foreign countries).

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"We also agreed then to have meetings with the top brass of the police periodically and increase the explanations on this issue in the media.

"The Cabinet then decided to form this special committee comprising various government agencies and to be chaired by myself as the Foreign Affairs Minister.

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"I have instructed the Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry to hold a meeting with these agencies on Thursday (Sept 22).

"The government, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry and representatives of Malaysia overseas, continue to be committed to further empower efforts to save job scam victims and return them safely to Malaysia," said Saifuddin.

The Cabinet decided to set up a special committee comprising various agencies to address the issue of job scams involving Malaysians abroad on Wednesday (Sept 21), said Abdul Latiff.

In the past few days, hundreds of human trafficking victims in Cambodia and another six in Laos including Malaysian victims were rescued from job scam syndicates through efforts between governments.