47 HOME AT LAST
47 Malaysians held in Cambodia return home
TEARS of joy filled the Kuching International Airport VIP Terminal yesterday afternoon as Malaysians detained in Cambodia for 65 days reunited with their families and loved ones.
The JC International Airlines aircraft carrying 40 Sarawakians touched down at 2.20pm, together with three Sabahans.
The chartered flight departed from Cambodia’s Siem Reap International Airport at 10.35am. Accompanying them were Sarawak Community Welfare, Women, Children and Family Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah and Santubong member of parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
International Non-Governmental Agency chairman Datuk Dr Mustapha Ahmad Marican and Minister in the Cambodian Prime Minister’s Office Oknha Datuk Dr Othsman Hassan were at the airport to send them off.
As the Malaysians emerged at the arrival hall, cries of relief from family members were heard. Tears flowed freely as they embraced tightly.
Earlier in the morning, three former detainees from Selangor and one from Kuala Lumpur arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 in Sepang.
The 47 Malaysians, aged between 18 and 21, were held in a prison in Cambodia after being accused of being involved in an online gambling syndicate.
On Feb 7, Julau member of parliament Larry Sng Wei Shien revealed how the Malaysians had fallen prey to a human trafficking syndicate.
The Foreign Ministry, on the same day, confirmed that the Malaysians had been held at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison in Poi Pet since Dec 11. The ministry clarified that it was only verbally informed by Bantey Meanchey’s police on Dec 28.
Subsequently, the Foreign Ministry’s Sarawak Regional Office director, Deddy Faisal Ahmad Salleh, said Wisma Putra, with officials from the Malaysian embassy in Phnom Penh, were conducting talks with senior Cambodian officials to secure the release of the detainees.
They were released following negotiations between the Cambodian and Malaysian governments. The decision to release them was made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen after establishing that the detainees had been duped by a syndicate.