“This is because there is a possibility that the victims may be duped again,” Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung told a press conference.

Lee also said it was important for the government to play an active role in raising awareness among citizens as human trafficking is a complex issue involving multiple sovereign countries.

“Among other measures, the government can display a message to travellers (through posters or advertisement boards) in airports to remind them that they could become a victim of human trafficking,” he said, citing similar practices in countries like Japan and Taiwan.

Lee added that the trend of Malaysians falling victim to job scams abroad was “worrying” and called on the government for better coordination with Asean members.

The press conference was also joined by family members of four Malaysians who are all victims of job syndicates in Myanmar.

A brother of one of the victims, who wanted to be identified as Lee, said his sister and her friend (also a victim) had travelled to Laos to meet an agent they had connected with on Facebook.

They were initially promised a job in customer service in Thailand but they were instead taken to Myanmar, where they were forced to work “13 to 14 hours” a day without pay.

Both girls eventually found a way to contact their respective families to inform them of their situation. The duo have since escaped Myanmar and have sought refuge in Laos.

Meanwhile, the other two victims are still trapped in Myanmar. Their family members said they were duped with promises of attractive jobs, such as being an influencer, a YouTuber and even an online seller.

The mother of one of the remaining victims, identified as Ling, shared how her son was locked up in a small room with 29 other Malaysians who had failed their assigned tasks.

Not only did the syndicate demand a ransom of RM50,000 for her son’s release, she said they also refused to provide food unless she paid USD$30 for each meal.

“I just hope that we can reunite again,” Ling added.