SEPANG: Promises of an attractive salary and dream of a better life turned into a nightmare for two human trafficking Malaysian victims who were rescued from Myawaddy, Myanmar.
The two friends, identified only as Hafiz, 25, and Syafinaz, 19, returned home today after being stuck in Myanmar for four months since September 2022.
Syafinaz said the job syndicate set a key performance indicator (KPI) for them to earn 70,000 yuan (RM44,680) daily or they would be forced to work right up to midnight.
"What's worse is that they would punish us to eat pork and mice if we do not reach the KPI. I was scared of being punished, because if not those (punishments), we might be raped," said Syafinaz, as she choked on her tears.
She said the syndicate is targeting to scam Malaysians through a mobile application, advertising jobs such as housekeepers, driver and in courier service.
She expressed gratitude for the Royal Thai Army, who managed to sneak in and rescue the victims from Myawaddy, Myanmar, as well as a Malaysian businessman in Thailand Victor Wong and the Malaysian Embassy, that had provided assistance to them.
She was relieved to finally be free from the nightmare.
Meanwhile, Hafiz said he found out about the job offer on Facebook while working with Syafinaz in Johor.
Through an agent, the duo was offered to work in Thailand involving foreign exchange, with a promise of a monthly salary of RM4,000.
At that time, Hafiz said he had yet to apply for a passport and the agent asked him to just follow them instead and they would continue travelling to Thailand by car via Golok, Kelantan.
Hafiz felt something was amiss but he did not think much of it as he was already in too deep.
"I was in the car ride with only a driver.
"I thought to myself that it was already too late and I had no idea who to contact at that time."
Upon arriving, they were greeted by a different person-in-charge, and that was when the victims learned that they had been scammed.
Hafiz's sister, who only wished to be known as Fiya, 30, from Terengganu, said she only knew that her brother was being trafficked after receiving a call from Victor Wong, who told her that her brother was in Myanmar.
"Wong asked me to confirm my relationship with my brother so that they could lodge a police report to bring my brother back.
"We were shocked, as we know of the cases of human trafficking in Myanmar. But never have I thought it would happen to my brother."
Prior to that, Fiya said she was concerned that she did not receive any news about her brother during the period, but dismissed the thought as her brother could in fact be busy with work.
"All the time, Hafiz would be contacting my mother through WhatsApp. And then there was a certain period that he suddenly went silent.
"Hafiz, along with my other younger sister, were both in Johor and worked in different companies."
She said her brother was working in a factory in Johor, but suddenly moved out of the house without any explanation, while the other sister who was living with him didn't know where he went as well.
Fiya and her family were seen in tears as they finally welcomed Hafiz back into their arms at KLIA airport today.
The family was thankful to Teruntum assemblyman Sim Chon Siang, Wong and the embassy who helped with the documentation and arranging rescue operations to save their child.
Hafiz and Syafinaz were rescued by the Royal Thai Army from Myawaddy, Myanmar, while another victim, Sim, 33, escaped himself by jumping down from the second floor of a housing area.
The three victims arrived at KLIA today on Thai Airways flight from Bangkok and were accompanied by Sim.
Sim said two more victims were already rescued but have yet to return home due to documentation issues, and are expected to arrive in Malaysia this Friday.