KUCHING, Dec 6 — Democratic Action Party (DAP) member George Lam has shed light on the distressing case of a 22-year-old Sarawakian, only identified as Alvin, seeking assistance to return home from Myanmar after falling victim to a job scam.
Lam, who serves as the special assistant to Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, shared the details of the man’s ordeal during a press conference at the DAP Sarawak headquarters yesterday.
According to him, on November 3, 2023 at 11.30pm, he received multiple WhatsApp messages from Alvin, who urgently reached out for help to be repatriated to Malaysia.
“Alvin, who had kept his situation a secret from his parents, was initially believed to be working in Thailand. However, after my conversation with him, he revealed that he was stranded in KK Garden, Myanmar, deceived by the false promises of a job opportunity in Bangkok, Thailand.
“In this case, the victim didn’t even inform his parents regarding his latest status there in Myanmar. His parents only knew that he was working in Thailand and had no knowledge that their son is currently in KK Garden, Myanmar,” he said.
Lam said Alvin shared his latest location with him, indicating that he was at the border between Myanmar and Thailand, and after cross-referencing online news, he confirmed that Alvin’s location was indeed KK Garden in Myanmar.
Despite initial reluctance, Lam said Alvin eventually agreed to share his parents’ contact information with him and he promptly contacted Alvin’s parents and informed them about their son’s situation in Myanmar.
Lam also gathered essential information, including Alvin’s passport details, IC photos and his flight itinerary, discovering that Alvin had been transported to Myanmar through Bangkok, Thailand.
“Alvin recounted undergoing security checkpoints, where armed personnel scrutinised him before entering KK Garden.
“Initially promised a restaurant crew job in Bangkok, he found himself in Myanmar, receiving only three salary payments during his time there, ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 Thai baht,” said Lam.
Considering the urgency of the situation, Lam took swift action, arranging for Alvin’s father to file a police report at Sekama police station and reporting the case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Simpang Tiga.
“All we can do for now is to wait for the outcome from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the police department,” he said.
In this regard, Lam strongly emphasised the need for parents to consistently monitor their children working abroad, urging them to stay vigilant and maintain open communication to prevent such unfortunate situations. — Borneo Post Online
