KUANTAN: The remains of Muhammad Izzat Abdul Wahab, a victim of a job scam syndicate who allegedly died of a heart attack after being rescued in Myanmar on Oct 14, is expected to be brought back to Malaysia on Oct 27.
State Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Sim Chon Siang said Izzat's body would be taken to the Yangon General Hospital today based on information from the Malaysian embassy in Myanmar.
"The remains have been collected from a hospital in Tachileik, located some 2,000km from Yangon and taken to the hospital (in Yangon) for post-mortem. The embassy has made all the necessary arrangements. Izzat's family will be travelling to Myanmar tomorrow.
"Once the post-mortem is completed in Yangon this weekend, the embassy will help arrange to bring the body home. We expect the remains to arrive on Oct 27 but hopefully sooner as it depends on the documentation process and cooperation from the Myanmar government," he told reporters after accompanying Pahang Islamic Religious Affairs committee chairman Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad to visit Izzat's family at Kampung Peramu here today.
Syed Ibrahim, who represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, handed the RM25,000 pledged by the Pahang government to assist Izzat's family in bringing home his body.
Izzat is believed to be a victim of a job fraud syndicate. He was provided free flight tickets to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct 7 before Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation representatives rescued him.
He later died at an immigration centre due to alleged heart issues on Oct 14.
Yesterday, his family requested a second post-mortem on the remains once it arrives in Malaysia.
The cost to bring Izzat's body back to Malaysia was expected to be around US$6,000 (RM28,440).
Late yesterday, Wan Rosdy announced that the Pahang government agreed to contribute RM25,000 to Izzat's family.
Meanwhile, Syed Ibrahim said the Pahang government would coordinate efforts to bring home Izzat's remains, and the Pahang Islamic Religious Department(Jaip) will assist with the burial process.
"My colleague Sim (Chon Siang) has contacted our embassy in Myanmar, and they are prepared to assist us. Sim knows the procedures, as he has helped bring back Malaysians who were duped by job scam syndicates.
"Once the body is allowed to be brought back, Jaip will make transportation arrangements to bring the remains from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kuantan and assist with the burial process," he said.
Syed Ibrahim said the Pahang government would also help the family, including Izzat's two children - Muhammad Nu'man, six, and Muhammad Naqib Anaqi, four - with aid to support their education.
Sim was no stranger to assisting job scam victims as he has regularly travelled to Bangkok to facilitate the return of the victims stranded in Myanmar.