Dato’ Sri Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia said last night that he will be meeting Malaysian law enforcement officers to push for action against recruiters of gullible Malaysians.
Speaking to a group of Malaysian businessmen at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, he sought the views of the business community, mostly members of the Malaysian Business Chamber, Cambodia, led by its President, Oknha Tan Khee Meng.
Clearly distraught at the increasing number of Malaysians who have fallen victim to these scammers and their victims who had been deceived into what was supposedly well paying jobs in the hospitality sector, the foreign minister said it is time to go after the recruiters who found ingenious ways to prey on the gullible and the uninformed.
“We will work with the relevant agencies and the Royal Malaysian Police to track and crack down on the recruiters and this may help impede new recruits from walking unknowingly into a heelish work environment.
“I had to intervene with the Cambodian government in 2019 when 47 Malaysians had to be rescued with the direct intervention of then Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. When it appeared that it would have served as a lesson, more have been duped into Cambodia and other parts of the world into such illegal activities,” Dato’ Sri Saifuddin said.
The Malaysian Embassy in Phnom Penh has so far rescued 46 Malaysians in Cambodia this year after they were believed to have been duped by lucrative job offers overseas, said Malaysian Ambassador to Cambodia Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim when briefing the foreign minister.
“To date, there are more than 60 cases (Malaysians allegedly falling prey to job scams) pending further actions. We are working closely with the Cambodian authorities in facilitating them to return home,” the ambassador said.