THIRD BATCH OF 24 MALAYSIANS RESCUED FROM MYANMAR TO BE REPATRIATED

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, March 24 (Bernama) -- The third batch of Malaysian job scam victims rescued from Myanmar, consisting of 24 individuals, is expected to be repatriated home tomorrow. 

Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Malaysia to Thailand, Bong Yik Jui, said the embassy in Bangkok is working closely with the Thai authorities and the Malaysian Embassy in Yangon to verify the identities of all Malaysians deported from Myanmar.

He said Myanmar authorities are expected to deport the victims to Thailand via the Thailand-Myanmar Second Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot, tomorrow morning. 

"This group consists of victims aged between 19 and 37 years, including one woman. They will be repatriated immediately by land from Mae Sot to Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex via bus,” he told Bernama when contacted on Monday.

They are expected to reach Bukit Kayu Hitam on Wednesday evening.

Bong said the repatriation process is carried out in close coordination between Malaysian Embassy in Yangon, the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Songkhla.

"Wisma Putra (Malaysian Foreign Ministry) had also given directives to treat these repatriation exercises as top priority to make sure the safe return of Malaysian victims to the homeland. 

"The relevant embassies are also in contact with the family of the victims who had previously reached out to various government agencies, such as the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, or who had been directly reaching out to the embassies.

“We hope more victims can be released in near future," he said.

Since February, a total of 40 Malaysians who were victims of online scam syndicates in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been successfully rescued and repatriated in two separate batches on February 24 and March 12.

Meanwhile, on March 21, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry announced that a total of 4,895 individuals of various nationalities that were rescued from alleged job scam syndicates in Myanmar have been repatriated to their home countries.

-- BERNAMA