NGOs urge govt to use Asean platform to tackle overseas job scam issue

 

A group of non-governmental organisations (NGO) is urging the government to use the Asean platform as a diplomatic solution to tackle issues related to Malaysians being the victims of overseas job scam syndicates.

They also demanded that the heads of governments especially in countries like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, intervene.

The Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation secretary-general Hishamuddin Hashim said one ‘extraordinary’ action was urgently needed to tackle the issue made worse by the high ransom demanded by the syndicates.

"The Foreign Ministry and the government need to use the highest platform available,” he said to reporters after handing over a memorandum urging the government to take drastic measures to overcome the issue at the Wisma Putra compound in Kuala Lumpur today.

"We need to put pressure by using the Asean platform and the prime minister (of each Asean country), because if we continue to use the normal channels the case will never be solved,” he said, referring to embassies and relevant authorities of the countries involved as being the normal channels.

The memorandum was received by Wisma Putra's Consular Division Principal Assistant Secretary K Saravana Kumar.

The other NGOs involved are the Persatuan Pengguna Semboyan Malaysia, Pertubuhan Penggerak Ekonomi Islam Malaysia and Pertubuhan Ekonomi Negeri Sembilan.

Also present were the family members of the victims.

According to Hishamuddin, victims are also 'sold' from one agent to another or 'relocated' to other countries using illegal routes.

Royal Malaysia Police secretary Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin on Aug 19 said a total of 238 Malaysians have fallen victim to overseas job scam syndicates, with 168 people still stranded abroad.

The victims were mostly deceived by advertisements posted on Facebook promising them career opportunities as customer service officers abroad with good pay.

They were enticed to contact the agents through the WeChat, WhatsApp and Messenger applications, who would then promise that their travel expenses would be taken care of.

However, upon arrival at the destination, all travel documents and phones were confiscated and destroyed and they would be locked up and eventually forced to work for syndicates involved in online gambling, investments, and love scams, among others.

- Bernama