KUALA LUMPUR – A non-governmental organisation has called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate allegations linking a Malaysian politician to human trafficking activities in Myanmar.
During a press conference held outside the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today, Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim revealed that the syndicate’s modus operandi involved job scams, forcing victims to operate online gambling fraud schemes.
Hishamuddin urged the anti-graft agency to probe into the accusations, which suggest that a Malaysian politician, a former deputy minister under Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration, and her husband were involved in the criminal activities.
He referred to an Indonesian YouTube video that allegedly exposed the Myanmar human trafficking syndicate, asserting that the clip implied the involvement of the politician and her husband. The husband is said to hold a position in a company known as Dongmei Group, which is implicated in the syndicate’s operations.
“MACC must investigate viral allegations of the politician’s involvement with the syndicate (as) there are images of their association, which should be verified by authorities.
“We are not accusing anyone, but we are asking MACC to conduct a transparent investigation on the former deputy minister’s link with Dongmei, a company directly involved in Myanmar’s human trafficking crimes,” Hishamuddin said before submitting MHO’s report on the issue to the MACC.
While Hishamuddin declined to disclose the names of the local figures implicated in MHO’s complaint to the national graft busters, Scoop previously reported on Malaysia’s apparent ties with Dongmei Zone, a heavily guarded site in southern Myawaddy, Myanmar.
The zone, reportedly rife with criminal activities, illicit drugs and brothels, is said to have attracted billions of ringgit in investments from prominent individuals, including Malaysians.
It is believed that Malaysia’s involvement in the project may be linked to Grand Commerce Network Sdn Bhd, a decade-old company jointly owned by former deputy religious minister Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim and her husband, Datuk Abdul Shakor Abu Bakar, a former diplomatic officer.
According to details surrounding a March 2020 event at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, which hosted a launch event and investor appreciation night for the Saixigang Industrial Park – Dongmei Zone’s former name – Mashitah and Shakor were the sole directors and shareholders of Grand Commerce Network, with an 85% and 15% stake respectively, as revealed by Companies Commission documents sighted by Scoop.
Photos from Mashitah’s Facebook post of the event show her and her husband standing alongside convicted Macau mob boss Wan Kuok-koi, also known as Broken Tooth, as well as former Malaysian fugitive Nicky Liow, who was charged with 26 counts of money laundering in April 2022.
Another Facebook post by Mashitah in February 2020 included a picture and video of Shakor delivering a speech at an event in Myanmar, understood to be the foundation-laying ceremony for Dongmei Zone, where armed militia members provided security.
Justice for Myanmar, a human rights group investigating organised crime activities in Myanmar, considers the presence of armed militia, identified as Karen National Army soldiers, at the event as evidence of the militia’s involvement in the zone.
When contacted by Scoop, Mashitah denied any involvement with Dongmei Zone, stating that there was no need for her to speak to the press as she had already provided her statement to the police on the matter. – August 28, 2024
