Malaysian youths advised to be cautious of job offers abroad

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians, especially the youths, must be cautious of job offers abroad to ensure they are not duped by job scam syndicates, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.

The minister said there was a recent spate of cases especially in neighbouring Cambodia where Malaysians were duped by fake job offers.

"Malaysians need to be wary of job offers received in various ways, some Whatsapp directly to the phone numbers of job seekers. Malaysians who receive job offers should check the (validity) of the offer," he said in a news conference at Wisma Putra on Saturday.

Saifuddin said Malaysian missions abroad were always ready to provide appropriate advice on the matter as well as assist Malaysian citizens who are in difficulty.

He said Malaysians in need of information regarding the legitimacy or authenticity of companies involved can seek help from the Malaysian embassy in the respective countries or the ministry's consular services.

Prior to this, the local media had reported that 16 Malaysians who claimed to be victims of a job scam syndicate in Cambodia had arrived safely in Malaysia last month from Phnom Penh.

The minister said there are still over 20 such victims from Malaysia detained in Phnom Penh and waiting to be brought back to Malaysia.

On another note, Saifuddin said several countries have indicated their willingness to increase their acceptance of more Rohingya refugees in Malaysia into their respective countries for the resettlement process.

He said the resettlement process of the refugees to third countries has been disrupted in the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are indications that some countries have agreed to double the acceptance of the number of Rohingya refugees (who are now in Malaysia)," he said when asked to comment on the issue of Rohingya refugees who fled from the Sungai Bakap Temporary Immigration Depot, Kedah, last month.

Safuddin said he had also met the UNHCR director in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the Rohingya resettlement process.

As of March this year, the UNHCR estimates that there are about 103,810 Rohingyas in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA