Mohamad Hasan: Some Malaysians in Myanmar, Thailand job scams may hold senior roles

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan has revealed that some Malaysians currently listed as victims of job scam syndicates in Myanmar and Thailand may, in fact, hold high-ranking positions within these criminal organisations.

In a written parliamentary reply on 20 February, Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, stated that while many Malaysians were deceived into joining these syndicates, others had risen to managerial roles and might not wish to return.

He disclosed that 114 Malaysians had been rescued and repatriated from Myanmar, while another 157 were brought back from Thailand.

Authorities are currently tracking 140 Malaysians in Myanmar and 14 in Thailand with the assistance of local authorities.

“There is a possibility that some of these Malaysians do not intend to return to Malaysia because they hold high positions in the syndicates, such as manager,” Mohamad stated.

He added that some individuals reported missing by their families had actually returned to Malaysia without informing the authorities.

The minister also revealed that Malaysians from Johor accounted for the highest number of job scam victims at 19%, followed by Selangor (13%), Sarawak (12%), Kuala Lumpur (12%), Perak (11%), and Penang (9%).

No travel advisory planned

Despite concerns over job scams and human trafficking, Mohamad stated that Putrajaya currently has no plans to issue a travel advisory against visiting Thailand or Myanmar.

Instead, Malaysia will engage in diplomatic discussions through regional platforms such as ASEAN to seek a resolution.

“Putrajaya will discuss the issue through existing platforms, including making use of our ASEAN chairmanship to look for a suitable solution,” he said.

He was responding to Oscar Ling, Member of Parliament for Sibu, who inquired about the number of Malaysians involved in these syndicates and whether the government planned to issue travel restrictions.

Job scam syndicates in Myanmar’s border regions

According to Mohamad, most job scam syndicates operate in northern Myanmar, near the borders with Thailand and China.

These areas are controlled by ethnic armed groups rather than the Myanmar government, complicating efforts to dismantle the operations.

Malaysia has been actively conducting awareness campaigns to educate citizens on the dangers of job scams and prevent them from falling victim to these syndicates.

Thailand repatriates trafficked Chinese nationals

Meanwhile, Thailand has begun repatriating 200 Chinese nationals who were allegedly trafficked to Myawaddy, Myanmar—a city notorious for hosting scam operations.

The individuals are being flown back to China via China Southern Airlines from Mae Sot Airport.

This repatriation is part of a broader initiative to relocate over 1,200 victims of human trafficking from various nationalities.

Chinese nationals are being sent back first, with other nationalities expected to follow from 23 February onwards.

The United Nations has reported that hundreds of thousands of individuals have been trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam compounds across Southeast Asia, particularly in the Thailand-Myanmar border region.

Myanmar authorities recently detained 273 foreigners linked to scam centres around Myawaddy.