KUCHING: Nur Mardiana Mohamad Hamzah, one of the Malaysian scam victims in Cambodia, handed over her passport and cellphone all except a spare cellphone, unknown to her captives.
The 25-year-old petite and soft-spoken Mardiana from Matang near here also hoped to work in a hotel upon her arrival in Cambodia on Nov 28 last year.
She just completed her studies in building planning last year, and worked in a minimart at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) before she left to Cambodia.
She paid the recruitment agency USD100 (RM408.20) of her own money, which was banked in to a Maybank account on Nov 25. However, she could not recall the account holder’s name.
Upon arriving at the airport, she described the guy dressed in black T-shirt and wearing jeans holding a paper that had her name on it.
“He looked like a gangster to me. I was already scared when I first saw him, and it was hard to communicate with him because he didn’tknow English, and I suspected he’s a local there.
“When a guy drove me to the house, I already sensed that something was wrong because it looked like interior (rural) area. I thought, maybe he was taking me to my hostel first,” she said.
Upon arriving at the house in Poipet, Mardiana said the guy asked for her passport and cellphone, but she had the good sense to hide the spare phone.
“I was really scared. I did not tell anyone I had the phone, so I secretly called my mother and told her that they took my passport, including my main phone.
“My mother was so worried that I was a victim of human trafficking, and she immediately called the Malaysian Embassy in Cambodia,” she said.
She said her mother had also lodged a police report back in Kuching.
“In the house, we were not allowed to do anything. The Chinese nationals monitored our movements and they were strict,” she said.
Mardiana said she already knew something was not right because “if the job was not a scam, they wouldn’t have treated me and the others that way.”
“Most of the time, I didn’t talk to anyone. I was really terrified.”
She was glad that the Cambodian police came to raid the house “or else I cannot imagine what would have happened if we were held longer in the house”.
“I cried every day. I hated it. From the house, to being brought to jail. The experience was a painful one,” she said.
Home safe and sound at last on Sunday, she was grateful to her mother, the governments of Sarawak, Malaysia, and Cambodia, for securing her release and that of her fellow Malaysians.
“I will always remember the advice from (State Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister) Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah. She told me not to transfer money to people I don’t know, and to take care of myself and be strong after this.”
Meanwhile, the New Sarawak Tribune managed to talk to Nur yesterday, and she said she felt better now and had just gone for a medical checkup at a clinic.
“I’m very happy to be back, and went out with my mother today.”
Her mother who wished to be known only as Puan Nur, said she allowed her daughter to work in Cambodia.
“Her intention was to work and earn money. I just gave my blessings as a mother. But I did not expect things to turn out bad,” she said.
The 42-year-old mother who is a government servant, said she is thankful everything went smoothly, and hope to meet all those involved such as MP Julau Larry Sng, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Sarawak Foreign Affairs director Deddy Faisal Ahmad Salleh to thank them.
“I want to also thank the Cambodian government and authorities, the embassy and all those involved who brought my daughter back to me and the rest of the children home safe,” she said, adding that the media played a role too.
