PETALING JAYA: 25 more Malaysians who were victims of online scam syndicates operating in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been safely repatriated to Malaysia, says the Foreign Ministry.
The ministry said the group arrived at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complex on Tuesday (March 12), where they were handed over to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for further investigation.
"The repatriation was made possible through coordinated efforts by the Malaysian Embassies in Yangon and Bangkok, with the cooperation of the Home Affairs Ministry, PDRM, the Immigration Department, and the Consulate-General of Malaysia in Songkhla," it said in a statement on Wednesday (March 12).
This marks the second successful repatriation of Malaysians trapped in job scam syndicates in Myanmar following a similar operation on Feb 24, when 15 Malaysians were brought home.
Wisma Putra also expressed its gratitude to the governments of Thailand and Myanmar for their support in securing the victims’ safe return and reiterated its commitment to assisting Malaysians abroad.
On March 11, Johan Ariff Abdul Razak, Chargé d’affaires of Malaysia to Myanmar, said Myanmar authorities handed over the victims to the Malaysian Embassy through Thai authorities at around 10am.
The 25 individuals, comprising 23 men and 2 women aged between 21 and 47, were rescued from the scam syndicates and repatriated via Mae Sot, Tak Province in northern Thailand.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's Chargé d’affaires ad interim to Thailand, Bong Yik Jui, said embassy officials in Bangkok had assisted all the victims in contacting their families in Malaysia and in issuing temporary travel documents.
He added that embassy officers would accompany the group throughout the over 20-hour journey from Tak Province to the Malaysia-Thailand border.
The operation comes amid ongoing efforts to rescue foreign nationals trapped in scam operations based in Myanmar. On March 6, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry announced plans to repatriate up to 1,500 people per week from these syndicates.
Wisma Putra said it would continue working closely with relevant authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of Malaysian citizens abroad.
