PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian embassy in Cambodia has come forward to clarify the “unreasonable fees” the embassy is allegedly collecting to rescue online job scam victims, as claimed by a victim’s mother.

Ambassador of Malaysia to Cambodia Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim said the RM9,000 fees were fines the victims were required to pay for overstaying, charges for the issuance of travel documents, meals and accommodation after they were rescued.

Khmer Times reported quoting the Cambodian immigration that the RM9,500 (US$ 2,076) fees covered the fines of more than US$1,000 for overstaying in Cambodia.

Eldeen Husaini said embassy staff showed the breakdown of fees to family members of online job scam victims and the embassy did not receive any complaint then.

A victim’s mother had earlier complained to Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifudin Abdullah about the “unreasonable fees” charged by the Embassy of Malaysia in Cambodia, as highlighted in online portal Malaysiakini.

The portal reported that the mother claimed his son had escaped from the syndicate last month and sought help from the embassy.

She found the US$2,076 fees unreasonable.

It was reported that her son overstayed in Cambodia for more than 100 days and the penalty was close to US$1,000.

Khmer Times also reported that the victim was not placed in an immigration detention depot while waiting for deportation.

The victim, together with seven others, left Cambodia for Malaysia on October 6, Eldeen Husaini said.

Eldeen Husaini said it was unfair to accuse the embassy and its staff who had worked so hard to rescue the trapped Malaysians from illegal online gaming syndicates.

He said victims who had passports were advised by the embassy to stay in hotels under police protection.

“For those without passports, they are placed at immigration detention centers until their travel documents are issued,” he said.

Those unable to pay for hotel accommodation would be sent to immigration detention centers, said the ambassador.