He said his ministry had received multiple reports on this matter.

More recently, he received a letter from Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong and Kesidang assemblyman Seah Shoo Chin requesting help to bring these Malaysians home.

“As of Sept 2, there are 148 victims in Cambodia, 22 in Laos, two in Myanmar and 23 in Thailand,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, he said 65 such victims had successfully been rescued and brought back from Cambodia, 10 from Laos, 10 from Thailand and two from Myanmar.

Saifuddin said the ministry took these reports seriously and was working closely with the relevant authorities in those countries to bring these victims home.

“At the same time, this process is subject to procedures and laws of the countries involved. This will take time.”

He advised the families and other individuals who are victims of such syndicates to come forward and make a police report to assist in the investigation or directly contact the foreign ministry at [email protected].

“I also urge the public to stay vigilant about employment offers abroad, specifically those offered via social media,” he said.

Earlier, Bernama had reported that 16 Malaysians had been detained by the Cambodian authorities and are currently being questioned at the Phnom Penh police station.

Saifuddin confirmed that the 16 were fine but did not elaborate further on why they were being investigated.

Asked whether those detained were victims of a job scam, Saifuddin said that it had not been determined yet.