KUCHING, Jan 15: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii advises Sarawakians seeking or being offered employment overseas to be vigilant and make sure the job offer is legitimate so as not to fall victim to job scams.
This advisory came from Yii after he handled a case recently involving a Sarawakian who was promised a lucrative job in Maldives only to learn that the job was different from expectations when the latter got there.
“On top of that, his (the victim’s) passport was withheld by the agent and so, he could not travel back to Malaysia.
“It was difficult for him to seek help as there is no Malaysian Embassy in Maldives but the closest one was in Colombo, Sri Lanka. For him to travel there, he needed to have proper documentations,” Dr Yii explained in a press release today.
He disclosed his parliamentary office sought help from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which contacted their consulate in Colombo to render all the required assistance to the victim’s family.
“The consulate managed to contact the victim and will provide him with the necessary documentations and assistance so he can travel back home safely.”
He emphasised that last year, his office had dealt with similar cases of Sarawakians falling victim to job scams in countries such as Liberia, Indonesia, Oman, Papua New Guinea and even South Korea.
“That is why it is important for others to take due diligence and do the necessary checks before traveling overseas.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very concerned with the increasing numbers of job scams involving Malaysians and has advised for all to take necessary precautions,” he added.
To avoid job scams, Dr Yii urged job seekers to run background checks on the job offers, companies and salary scale with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as to obtain work visas in Malaysia before travelling overseas and applying for overseas work insurance or travel insurance which would enable revelant departments and agencies to carry out necessary checks on the companies.
Malaysians are also strongly advised to alert or inform the Foreign Affairs Ministry of their work arrangement overseas so that there will be a formal record. — DayakDaily
