2 victims of job scam in Cambodia return home with help of Azalina

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the two were lucky as they would otherwise have been jailed for six months in Cambodia. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Two friends who became victims of an employment syndicate in Cambodia have returned home to Johor with the help of law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.

Azalina, who is Pengerang MP, said she contacted Wisma Putra immediately and called the Cambodian ambassador for help, Bernama reported.

She said the two were lucky they were able to return home within a week.

“We cannot take this matter lightly. Even though we love our children, we have to reprimand them.

“They were lucky … otherwise we understand they would be jailed for six months,” she said.

The two, from Felda Air Tawar 4, were promised employment with RM4,000 salary a month.

Both victims were initially offered employment at a casino but were later forced to become scammers, working 18 hours daily without pay, from 7am to 1am.

The duo was among eight Malaysians detained by the Cambodian immigration since September after their workplace in Sihanoukville was raided.

Victim Nurazlin Zulkifli, 28, said she left for Cambodia on April 18 while her friend, Sofi Khairul Fadzilah, 33, arrived one week later.

“After my friend came, we began work the next day. We quickly realised we had been deceived and were forced to work as scammers targeting people in Malaysia.

“Initially, we were treated well but were not paid. When we asked to return to Malaysia they wanted us to pay RM30,000 (in compensation).

“Our workplace was later raided and all of us, including Malaysians from Sarawak, were arrested by the Cambodian immigration,” she said at a media conference with Azalina at a hotel in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, today.

Sofi’s father, Khairul Fadzilah Awang, 53, appealed to youths to be careful and not to be easily influenced by the offer of attractive wages to work abroad.

“Think first and, most importantly, listen to your parents before making the decision. The experience of my son is a lesson to us all.”

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