KUCHING: A Cambodian newspaper – the Khmer Times – in its news report claimed that the 47 Malaysians including 44 from Sarawak detained at a provincial jail in Cambodia were promised US$1,500 monthly to work there.
The Malaysians were detained by the Cambodian police for alleged involvement in illegal online gambling activities.
The report said a detainee, Sibu-born Aron Naldy Muhammad Ting Abdullah, had narrated to a verified source that the ordeal began when he learned about a job opening in Cambodia through a group on social messaging service WeChat.
Aron Naldy, who had never been out of Malaysia before this, was said to be keen to go to Cambodia, after seeing his friends venturing overseas for better job opportunities.
He arrived in Siem Reap in September last year with two other friends, Wong Chung Hung and Ng Chun Fei, after depositing US$300 each into a Malaysian bank account as payment for their passports and flight tickets.
“My friends and I arrived in Siem Reap on Sept 18 or 19, and were brought to a house by several Chinese nationals, where other Malaysians were already there. It was a house that had guards and we received daily instructions from some Chinese nationals who also lived there,” he had said as quoted in the daily.
According to its report again, the Malaysians were not allowed to go out or speak to anyone outside of the house, while their phones and personal documents were confiscated when they first arrived at the house.
At the house, Aron Naldy said meals were prepared for them everyday, and everything was provided including soaps, toothbrushes and towels.
“Although we went along with it, we did feel like something was wrong. When we asked about our salary, we were told that it would be banked into our accounts and that we can check it when we return to Malaysia during the Chinese New Year break,” Aron Naldy said.
Khmer Times also mentioned that Aron Naldy narrated these to a verified source over the telephone from the detention centre on Friday.
The Cambodian-based daily stressed that the source cannot be named for security reasons.
A highly placed source also told Khmer Times that the 47 detainees, aged between 19 and 44, include 10 women.
The daily however claimed that these Malaysians were made to work from 8am to 4pm daily, using a tablet to learn how online gambling works.
On Dec 11 last year, the Malaysians and eight Chinese nationals were arrested by the police and brought to the Banteay Meanchey police lock-up before being transferred to the detention centre in Poipet where they have been placed since.
It also mentioned that the detainees were accused of cheating, opening and managing illegal gambling, and are awaiting prosecution.
However, Aron Naldy said the Malaysian detainees do not know why they have been arrested but they hoped to come home soon.
On how their days are like in the detention centre, he said they don’t do anything apart from sitting around, talking and watching people play football.
“We are given two meals a day. Some of us sleep in dormitory-style cells while others like me share a room with two others. I am lucky to have a pillow and mattress to sleep on”.
Aron Naldy said although they are well treated, most are worried and miss home badly.
Meanwhile, Aron Naldy’s father, Muhammad Abdullah, 61, told Khmer Times he had no knowledge of his son’s travel to Cambodia.
“My heart is so heavy. He did not tell me he was going to Cambodia, only that he wanted to visit Vietnam. I have not heard from him since he left. Please help to bring him home,” the lorry driver was quoted as saying.