PETALING JAYA  Malaysia should leverage its position as Asean Chair to exert pressure on Cambodia to shut down scam centres amid the alarming resurgence of job scam operations in that country, says Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) secretary-­general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim.

While Malaysia does have more measures in place now to deal with this issue, including cooperation with Cambodian authorities under the country’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, Hishamuddin said the existence of scam centres remains a persistent issue.

“As long as these centres exist, it’s a never-ending story without a solution.

“We have the rescue efforts, which are part of our standard operating procedures, but they can’t prevent everything.

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“We need a holistic solution, which has been lacking for years,” he told The Star yesterday.

Hishamuddin urged Malaysian authorities to do more than just rescue stranded citizens.

“As Asean Chair this year, Malaysia should pressure Cam­bodia to close these scam centres.

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“Our Prime Minister should take this opportunity to push for the closure of, or at least a reduction in, scam centres while continuing our rescue SOPs.

“The world should also join in pressu­ring Cambodia,” he said.

Hishamuddin cited a recent distressing rescue example from Phnom Penh, where MHO provi­ded a list of three victims to the Malaysian embassy and the Cambodian human trafficking division.

“When Cambodian police went in to make the rescue, they only took the three people on the list, leaving the other 50-odd people behind.

“It was only months later, after receiving more calls from families, that further rescues were made,” he said.

“Why not rescue all those people once and for all?

“This is our problem. We can only rescue, but we can’t shut these centres down.”

MHO has been collabora­ting with international bodies to rescue victims of human trafficking and migrant exploitation since its formation in 2016.

Reflecting on the situation from 2021 to now, Hishamuddin said that, with coordination efforts from the embassy and other parties, MHO has rescued over 400 Malaysians duped into working in Cambodia.

“Sadly, many families choose to pay ransoms, but we advise against it, as their loved ones may not return.

“These are scammers,” he said.

He also called for more preventative measures by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency to conduct greater scrutiny of Malaysians travelling to Cambodia without clear lodging or financial plans.

“If we can question suspicious foreigners upon entry, why not do the same for Malaysians heading to potentially troubled nations?

“We need a more comprehensive approach to tackling the job scam crisis,” he added.

Recent developments in Cambodia’s job scam crisis have led to significant international responses.

South Korea has imposed a travel ban and deployed a task force to rescue its citizens trapped in fraudulent schemes, promp­ting urgent diplomatic efforts.

Several South Koreans have been repatriated, with some fa­cing legal action.

Cambodian authorities are cooperating by deporting those involved, highlighting the crisis’ severity and the collaborative efforts to dismantle scam networks and protect people.

Child rights activist Roland Edwards, who works with the NGO Be My Protector, highlighted the rise in youth falling prey to overseas job scams, attributing it to modern parenting failures.

He said middle-income parents often pamper their children, fostering a desire for luxury.

“Coupled with excessive social media use, this leads youths to pursue high-paying jobs without proper guidance, making them vulnerable to scams,” he said.

Edwards also said Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship would be a perfect opportunity to focus more attention on the issue.

“However, the Prime Minister should consider bringing it up in a tactful way during the Asean summit with the other leaders so we don’t accidentally draw any ire.

“A clear initial strategy to either bring victims home or crack down on these scam syndicates should also be considered first to better get the ball rolling quickly,” he said.