KUCHING: The Sarawak Patriot Association (SPA) is deeply concerned with the detention of the 44 Sarawakians in Cambodia who are currently being held without trial.
Its chairman Datuk John Lau said the association has received pleas of assistance from some of the parents of the detainees who have expressed deep concerns of the recruitment agency’s approach to hire youth from lower income families to do such activities in Cambodia which is highly unethical.
“We believe that the 44 Sarawakians who are within the age of 18 to 20 years old may have paid money to the recruitment agency to find a high salary job in Cambodia.
“We also believe that they may have been forced into illegal activities in Cambodia which they were not aware of,” said Lau in a statement issued yesterday.
He pointed out that its legal team will be writing to the Cambodian Embassy to implore them to understand the actual situation rather than detain them without trial.
“We would advise people to be aware and wary of the presence of overseas syndicates who may be targeting people from lower income families to entice them with an opportunity to earn high salary overseas.
“We would further advise that for people who have encountered this situation to check with the relevant authorities first before they agree to any job prospects overseas,” he added.
SPA called on the federal and the state governments to work on an early release of the 44 Sarawakians so that they can return home to their families.
