Overseas job scams: Special committee will handle cases - minister

The cabinet meeting on Wednesday agreed to establish a special committee to deal with job scam syndicate cases involving Malaysians.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah announced he will chair the committee consisting of various government agencies.

"I have also instructed the Foreign Ministry secretary-general to hold a meeting with the relevant agencies today," he said in a statement.

Saifuddin (above), who is in New York in conjunction with the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Special Functions) and the cabinet for reviewing and discussing the issue.

Latiff is acting as foreign minister in the absence of Saifuddin.

On Monday, Saifuddin chaired a virtual meeting with Malaysian ambassadors and chargé d'affaires in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

"We also agreed to hold regular meetings with the top management of the Royal Malaysian Police and increase media coverage of this issue," he said.

Rescuing victims

He added that the government via the Foreign Ministry as well as Malaysian diplomatic missions abroad continue to be committed to strengthening efforts to rescue the victims and bring them home safely.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in a separate statement on Wednesday night said 15 more Malaysians who had fallen victims to job scam syndicates were successfully rescued and brought home on Tuesday.

They arrived at Klia2 via flight AK 535 from Phnom Penh at 11.50pm.

As of Wednesday, he said, the ministry had received reports on 301 such cases in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

"Out of that number, a total of 168 victims have been rescued and returned back home," he added.

In addition, 34 victims are being held at the immigration detention depot, while the remaining 99 are still being traced by the authorities of the countries concerned, said the Foreign Ministry.

- Bernama

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