Cook claims trial to cheating in Cambodian jobs scam case
KUCHING: A 24-year- old cook pleaded not guilty in a Magistrates’ Court here yesterday to a charge of cheating involving the recent jobs scam case where 47 Malaysians, including 40 Sarawakians, were jailed in Cambodia for allegedly being involved in online gambling.
Magistrate Faelly Jeffery Lanjungan released Chang Ying Shiong on RM10,000 bail in two local sureties with a minimum RM2,000 monthly income.
Chang’s international passport was also to be surrendered to the court until the disposal of the case. Faelly fi xed March 25 for pre- case management proceedings.
Chang is among three persons wanted by police in connection with the case.
Second suspect Lai King Loong has been released on police bail due to ill health, while the third suspect Mohd Ghafar Abdul Jamal is still wanted by police.
Chang was nabbed on March 3 at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce here and was subsequently placed under remand until yesterday.
He allegedly cheated fellow cook Chong Jun Kong at MJC Batu Kawah last October by offering a non- existent cook’s job abroad.
Chang is charged under Section 415( b) of the Penal Code, which is punishable under Section 417 of the same Code, which carries a maximum five years’ jail, or a fi ne, or both.
He was not represented by counsel yesterday, while DPP Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang appeared for the prosecution.
The 47 Malaysians were freed from a Cambodian jail last month following efforts of the federal and Sarawak governments to secure their release through negotiations with the Cambodian government.
They had been in Cambodia since December after applying for what appeared to be lucrative and decent jobs through social media, including WeChat, between October and November last year.
They had also placed cash deposits in a bank account here for their job applications.