SEPANG: “I need to beg for water. Life in prison was tough. It's a lesson to me and also for other Malaysians, to be wary and do not accept dubious job offers that promised lucrative perks and salary" said Ng Shing Long, 27, one of 47 Malaysians who were released by Cambodian government recently.
Ng and three others - Yeam Yoke Foong, 26, Muhamad Daud Sharuddin, 23 and Yap Yu Xiang, 25 - arrived safely at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 at 11.29am.
They were met upon arrival by Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob.
Asked how his predicament started, Yap said he received a job offer on WeChat group before departing for Cambodia on Oct 5.
“The person in charge promised that I would be given a job at a hotel when I arrived there with a monthly salary of USD$1,200 (approximately RM4,901).
“I paid the agent USD$300 as processing fees before I departed.
“However, when we arrived, they confiscated our handphones and passports, and locked us inside a bungalow.
“They gave us food, but we were not allowed to leave the house. We were stranded there for two months before being arrested by police on Dec 11,” he told reporters.
It was reported that the 47 Malaysians were detained in Cambodia since Dec 11 last year on charges of cheating, initiating and carrying out illegal online gambling activities.
They were promised jobs with lucrative salaries up to US$1,500 (RM6,100), and only found out that it was a scam when they arrived in Cambodia.