HELP will be extended to Sabahans who are presently detained by the Cambodian authorities, including to secure their return, said Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal.

“We are trying to find out first. If they need help, we will try to get them back here,” he told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year open house in Kota Kinabalu today.

It was reported yesterday that 47 Malaysians, mostly Sabahans and Sarawakians, were detained by the Cambodian authorities on suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation there.

However, it has since been revealed that they were actually victims of a syndicate who had lured them to Cambodia on the pretext of a lucrative paying job.

They are all presently languishing in jail since December 11 in Poipet, Banteay Mancheay, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

It has been reported that 44 of these Malaysians are from Sarawak. The number of Sabahans arrested could not be ascertained at this point.

Shafie said the state government will contact the Foreign Ministry over the conditions of those detained in Cambodia.

“From there we will see how best can we secure the return of our people back to Sabah,”he said. – February 10, 2019.