KOTA KINABALU: Two Sabahans who were promised lucrative jobs in London by a bogus agency here ended up stranded in the United Kingdom for nearly a week.
But thanks to Sabahans Abroad United Kingdom (SAUK), the duo boarded a flight back to Sabah on Sunday (Dec 15) and will be able to spend Christmas with their families in the northern Kudat district.
According to SAUK members in London, who declined name the two, they had said that a friend working in South Korea had introduced them to a recruitment agency for jobs abroad.
They each paid RM10,000 for their return air tickets and other processing fees for a "high-paying" job in the United Kingdom, in the hope they could send back enough money home for a better life for their families.
The two – aged 41 and 27 – boarded the plane for London on Dec 9, where they were given strict instructions to wait for an agent to pick them up at the airport upon arrival.
SAUK members said that on touching down at Heathrow Airport, the duo sat patiently at the airport, waiting for the promised phone call from the supposed agent to take them to their new workplace.
"They began to become uncomfortable as hours turned to days. No one came to claim them. Finally, they went to the authorities and received the shocking news – they had come into the UK on tourist visas and were not allowed to work at all.
"Their return air tickets were also non-existent and the recruitment agency did not exist," SAUK said.
With very little money to spare, the two shared a hotel room and went to the airport daily to wait, but by the fourth day, they ran out of money.
"They finally sought help and contacted a family that was currently residing in Australia. A Sabahan lady from Australia wrote to SAUK via Facebook Messenger.
"We were on our feet immediately after reading their plight. Working as a professional in the UK, Leona, Nelda and I rearranged work and prioritise meeting our fellow Sabahans currently stranded at the airport," said SAUK president Alfred Raymond Edward said through WhatsApp.
Edward said when they finally met, the duo were hungry, tired and embarrassed that they found themselves in such a situation.
"We offered them food, and gathered information on their backgrounds and how they ended up here (in London). Apparently, they were asked by the agency to say that they were teachers back home, hence the tourist visas," he said.
Both men requested to be sent home, but unfortunately the cost of flying out of London in December is very expensive, due to the long Christmas to New Year holidays.
"SAUK provided food and accommodation and connected them to the Malaysia High Commission via Sabah-born Malaysian diplomatic officer, Jesse Quiban in London.
"With the help of their family and friends, we managed to raise enough funds to buy their air tickets," Edward said in a WhatsApp message after the duo left London Sunday.
Edward said two of SAUK's members, Nelda Hendon and Victoria Payne, hosted the duo while they were in the United Kingdom.
He said it was the first time they came across such a case in London but believed that there could be other victims – not only involving Sabahans but other Malaysians as well.
"Our advice to fellow Malaysians who wish to work abroad – before embarking on a new adventure, it is very important to read and understand all the terms and requirements to work in any particular country," he advised.- Star
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