KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts are being made to free 22 more Malaysians believed to be victims of job scam syndicates in Myanmar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan says.
The Foreign Minister said that recent crackdowns by Myanmar authorities on the job scam and gambling syndicates there indicate that the Malaysians should be freed soon.
"Fifteen Malaysians were recently rescued and from the latest intelligence, 22 more are said to be set free," he said when wrapping up his ministerial replies on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Feb 19).
He disclosed that the Malaysians were currently being processed at a transit camp in Thailand, adding that efforts are currently underway to bring the Malaysians home.
"We are making the effort but we do not want to discuss it openly because it is a sensitive issue.
"We will let the process take its course as we do not want to jeopardise it," he said.
Last Wednesday, Bernama reported that 15 Malaysians, aged 21 to 68, were among 261 foreign victims rescued from job scam syndicates in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
Myanmar authorities rescued the victims from KK Park and Shwe Kokko, two border towns notorious for human trafficking activities, before transferring them to Thailand for further processing and eventual repatriation.
The Malaysian Embassy in Thailand is currently working with Thai authorities to facilitate the victims' travel documentation process to ensure their repatriation.
On Monday (Feb 17), Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin told Parliament that Malaysia, as this year’s Asean chair, will continue to highlight the issue of job scam syndicates operating across Southeast Asia to combat the problem.
He said the matter was recently discussed at the recent Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi.
Among the steps, he said, included strengthening cooperation among Asean nations through the Asean police organisation (Aseanapol) to tackle the issue.
