THE Foreign Ministry has asked for additional funds in Budget 2023 to allow Malaysian consulates overseas to provide better assistance and welfare protection for Malaysian victims of job scams.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah said the funds are inadequate.
“We have raised this issue in our request for funds in Budget 2023 to be spent on consular services in certain countries,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Dr Maszlee Malik (PH-Simpang Renggam) during Question Time.
Maszlee asked Wisma Putra whether the government was prepared to pay for the costs of repatriating Malaysian victims lured to work for crime syndicates overseas.
Saifuddin said as of September this year, 90 Malaysians are still stranded overseas after allegedly being lured to work for syndicates and becoming human trafficking victims. He added that they are being repatriated back to Malaysia.
A total of 261 victims have been rescued from four countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
From the total, 171 have returned to Malaysia, while 90 people are still waiting for the repatriation process, he said, adding that another 88 are still being identified.
He stated that all reports filed by relatives or family members with Wisma Putra will be forwarded to the respective consulates and embassies for further action.
“Such processes are subject to the procedures and laws of the respective countries involving matters such as investigation, intelligence gathering, rescue efforts, documentation, and others, which will take time,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said that on Sept 21, the Cabinet agreed to form a special committee led by Wisma Putra to deal with job scam syndicate cases involving Malaysians.
