Delegation to meet Cambodian minister for release of 47 Malaysians

The 47 Malaysians are currently held in Poipet, Banteay Mancheay, 400km from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, for allegedly being members of an international online gambling syndicate.

(MALAY MAIL) – A Malaysian delegation will meet with Cambodian Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana next week to see the release of 47 Malaysians who were arrested last December, a news report said.

Citing a source, New Straits Times reported that the delegation will be led by the Malaysian Embassy’s deputy head of mission Ruzaimi Mohamad.

“The minister has agreed to meet next week and were in the midst of confirming the date,” the source told the daily.

The source also said the delegation will request an explanation as to why the Malaysian Embassy was only informed of the arrests on December 28 when the actual arrests were done on December 11.

“If there is evidence that they committed crimes in Cambodia, the court process needs to be conducted as soon as possible. If none they need to be freed immediately,” said the source.

The Malaysians are currently held in Poipet, Banteay Mancheay, 400km from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, for allegedly being members of an international online gambling syndicate.

However, the Malaysian Embassy in Cambodia found out that the Malaysians, aged between 19 to 44, are believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate.

They were in Cambodia awaiting lucrative jobs, paying US$100 (RM407) to US$200 (RM815) a day to a “recruitment agency” believed to have ties with the human trafficking syndicate.

Out of the 47 detainees 44 are from Sarawak.

As Cambodian officials did not reveal they had apprehended the Malaysians, their plight only came to light after the mother of one the Malaysians detained had appealed to the government to help bring all 47 detainees home.