Parents and family members of the detainees arrive for the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarawak Region Office in Kuching yesterday. – Photo by Tan Song Wei
KUCHING: Several parents and family members of the Sarawakians currently being held in Cambodia were called to a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarawak Region Office at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, here yesterday.
They were brought in to meet its director Deddy Faisal Ahmad at noon, with members of the media prohibited from joining the meeting.
After two hours, those who attended the meeting hurried out of the ministry’s office and ignored interview requests from the press on what transpired during the meeting.
Efforts to interview Deddy Faisal for further information also failed as he did not emerge from his office or answer calls to his mobile phone.
It is understood that the meeting was to inform families of the condition of the detainees.
Presently, all 47 Malaysians, aged 19 to 44, are being held at the provincial prison in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia after their arrest on Dec 11 last year. They are accused of being involved in running an illegal online gambling racket.
Of the 47 detainees, 44 are from Sarawak.
Efforts to secure their release are currently being done by Wisma Putra through the Malaysian Embassy in Cambodia.