KUCHING: Sarawak Patriot Association (SPA) says it has received pleas of assistance from the parents of some Sarawakians, who are currently being held without trial in Cambodia.
According to SPA president Datuk John Lau, these parents express their deep concern regarding the recruitment agency’s approach of hiring youths from lower-income families for certain jobs in Cambodia, which they see as being ‘highly unethical’.
“We believe that the 44 Sarawakians (who are being detained) may have paid some money to the recruitment agency to find (for them) jobs with high salaries in Cambodia. We also believe that they may have been forced into illegal activities in Cambodia, which they were not aware of.
“The SPA’s legal team will be writing to the Cambodian Embassy, imploring them to understand the actual situation (in Cambodia), rather than detaining (the Sarawakians) without trial,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Lau also advised the public to be more aware and wary of the presence of overseas syndicates, which might be targeting those from the lower-income groups, enticing them with so-called opportunities to earn high salaries overseas.
“We would further advise those who have encountered such a situation to check with the relevant authorities first, before agreeing to any job prospect overseas.
“We implore the federal and Sarawak governments’ assistance to enable an early release of the 44 Sarawakians, so that they can return home to their families,” he added.