By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 7: A Sibu man has been stranded in the Philippines since October 2022, the latest victim of an international job scam.
When approached for help, George Lam, special assistant to Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), advised them to file a police report, which they did last night, and then helped them report the case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure assistance from the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines.
According to Lam, the man had gone to the Philippines in October 2022 and worked in three different companies involved in gambling operations.
The first two companies paid his salary on time, but the third company not only withheld his passport but also refused to pay him under various pretexts.
Concerned for his safety, the man escaped from the company at the end of October this year. However, he currently cannot return to Malaysia due to the lack of a passport.
“He also told me that many Malaysians in the Philippines face similar situations, with many lured by high-paying jobs but later faced withheld wages and other forms of mistreatment.
“I would like to advise that if anyone’s family members are stranded abroad due to various issues, they should immediately report the matter to the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon receiving any distress messages. This allows Malaysian diplomats to arrange for the citizens’ return,” Lam said in a statement today.
He explained that usually, families must cover transportation, accommodation, and food costs during the detention period, as well as any overstay fines imposed by local immigration authorities.
“Family members should be cautious of any requests for payment, especially if directed to personal accounts, as these could be scams. Any official fees should be paid through the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official accounts to ensure the funds are genuinely used for the necessary expenses or fines,” said Lam.
Meanwhile, he called on the Federal government to use its position as the 2025 ASEAN Chair to propose discussions at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on addressing employment scams affecting citizens across ASEAN member states.
At the same time, he urged for a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow cooperation between member states to waive overstay fines for victims facing employment scams and facilitate safe returns to their home countries.
ASEAN member states, he said, should also discuss on the telecom scams which are rampant in Myanmar, particularly the unregulated activities in the KK Park in Myawaddy, and apply pressure on Myanmar to take action to dismantle these operations. — DayakDaily
