KUALA LUMPUR: MCA's Public Services and Complaints Department has received a total of eight cases involving Malaysians tricked into going to Myanmar under the pretext of high paying jobs this month.
The department’s head, Datuk Seri Michael Chong, is urging desperate Malaysians not to get tricked by the empty promises from fake recruitment agencies, which typically target individuals in small towns by luring them with jobs that supposedly pays RM7,000 to RM8,000 a month.
"Due our intervention and media pressure, two Malaysian teenagers aged 15 and 14 have been rescued recently after a RM10,000 release fee was paid by one of the parents.
"These boys have been sent from Myanmar to the Thailand border, and are now in the care of Mae Sot district police chief Col Monsak Kaewon, who has personally guaranteed the safety of the boys.
"However, the boys are due to appear in court on May 10 because they have entered the country illegally and have no travel documents.
"We want to appeal to our embassy in Thailand to help these boys on humanitarian grounds. I have also personally written to the ambassador in Bangkok to assist in the matter," he told the press here on Wednesday (April 13).
Chong said both parents are eagerly awaiting for their kids to return safely home.
He added that a Malaysian businessman in Thailand has also been helping the two young boys out of pity.
Based on the number of cases received, more and more people are getting cheated, Chong said, adding that his department received complaints of four cases this week alone.
"If you get tangled in such scams, run to the nearest Malaysian embassy or seek immediate help.
"Despite many calls to remind people, there are still those who fall victim. Please don't respond to these job advertisements," he said.
Media reports had earlier said the 15-year-old boy was offered a job in Johor, but was later trafficked into Myanmar via illegal routes.
The 14-year-old boy was promised a job, but left without his parents' knowledge.