No more wanderers in Wang Kelian
Dishevelled foreigners used to beg for food, say villagers
PADANG BESAR: Dishevelled, starving foreigners wandering into the only village in Wang Kelian were a regular sight before the discovery of illegal campsites and mass graves in the nearby hills in 2015.
But no longer.
A villager from Kampung Wang Kelian, who asked to be known as Kak Nur, said villagers used to see foreigners wandering the area before 2015.
“They wore faded clothes and told us, through hand gestures, that they were hungry and had not eaten for some time.
“Out of compassion, we would give them food and water before calling the authorities to pick them up.
“We could not allow them to stay because it is against the law,” said the food stall owner, who is in her 50s.
She said the strangers told them they knew there was a settlement near their campsites through the morning call to prayer from the village mosque.
“We haven’t seen any since 2015.
“It’s all quiet now. My stall was once packed with journalists and officials who used to gather at my stall for tea and food when the discovery (of the mass graves) was made.
“The illegal migrants were in a very pitiful state. They told us others had died in the jungle.
“We learnt later that they were victims of human trafficking syndicates. The authorities must act against those responsible to stop such things from happening again,” Kak Nur said.
Another villager, Rosliza Senapi, 53, recalled how a group of illegals who survived for days in the hills and forests at the Malaysia-Thailand border gathered at the compound of her sister’s house for food.
“They asked for water and food. They gulped everything down ... they were starving,” the kindergarten teacher said.
“I also used to hear cars speeding on the main road next to my house, which is beside my sister’s, at 3am or 4am on some days.
“My husband and I suspected that the cars were ferrying illegal immigrants.”
Petrol station worker Afif Abu Bakar, 32, also said he has not seen a single illegal immigrant in Wang Kelian since the “high-profile” discovery of the campsites and mass graves.
“I have seen three groups of them walking along Jalan Wang Kelian before. They were on the street at about 7am and their numbers varied from five to eight people.
“They looked like they had not showered in a long time, and appeared very hungry.
“They would stop people and ask for food. But they were not threatening, so we were not afraid of them and would give them some rice or bread,” he said.
A source said the human trafficking syndicate could operate undetected in the area because the hills on the Malaysian side of the border have been gazetted as forest reserve.
“So there are no human activities there,” the source added.
It is learnt that the state Forestry Department has started using drones to look out for any further trafficking activities in Wang Kelian, but nothing has been detected.
Perlis police chief Datuk Azisman Alias declined to comment on the status of investigations into the mass graves and campsites, as he was only transferred to the state in June.
“Furthermore, the investigation was done by Bukit Aman. Police in Perlis just provided assistance,” he added.
It was reported that Malaysian police discovered 139 graves of human trafficking victims in 28 detention camps deep in the jungles of Perlis near the Thai border in May 2015.
The illegal migrants were in a very pitiful state. They told us others had died in the jungle. Rosliza Senapi