KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Police have confirmed that former deputy minister Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim visited Myanmar for real estate investment purposes, amid an ongoing investigation into her alleged involvement in human trafficking activities and a cyber scam park.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the police verified that Mashitah’s trip to Myanmar was related to a real estate deal in Myawaddy, Myanmar, as reported by The Star.

However, Mohd Shuhaily emphasised that the police are continuing their investigation into the human trafficking allegations involving Mashitah and other Malaysians in Myanmar.

"We have also recorded the statement of an individual with a Datuk Seri title in relation to the same case,” he said, adding that police have taken statements from five individuals, including Mashitah.

"We will also record the statement of an Indonesian blogger today, which will be conducted online due to his location in Jakarta,” added Mohd Shuhaily.

Mashitah has denied any involvement in illegal activities, dismissing the accusations as baseless and asserting that her visit to Myanmar in 2020 was purely for real estate investment.

She also told New Straits Times that she and her husband were invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony in Myanmar by their friend, Datuk Seri Leong Kee Huat, where they were asked to read an English speech text at the event.

"The photos said to be of me with gangsters are actually of me with security personnel at the project site,” she reportedly said.

The police previously said they are searching for a "Datuk Seri” to assist in the investigation.

The issue was first brought up in May this year by a civil society called Justice for Myanmar, which alleged that Malaysians play a prominent role in the Yatai New City and Dongmei Park projects linked to the Myanmar junta-allied Karen Border Guard Force, now rebranded as the Karen National Army.

According to the group, Mashitah and her husband Datuk Abdul Shakor Abu Bakar had allegedly joined a contingent of prominent Malaysians to launch the Dongmei Park project — which it described as "a cyber scam park”.

The issue resurfaced after a Malaysian group called Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation called for an investigation into Mashitah’s involvement in developer Dongmei Group.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail previously confirmed that the investigation is underway but refrained from further comment to avoid fuelling speculation.

Saifuddin also shared insights from the recent Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Laos, noting that human trafficking is on the rise across all participating countries.

On Sunday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the investigation is being conducted under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.