A Malaysian woman who fell victim to a human trafficking syndicate in Cambodia and was tortured with electric shocks for a ransom of RM120,000 has been successfully rescued.
Malaysia Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) Secretary-General Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim revealed that the 33-year-old victim, identified only as Ong, had been working in the office of a China-owned logistics company in Port Klang, Selangor, for over a year before the incident.
According to Hishamuddin, Ong was told by her employer that the company was shutting down due to financial problems and relocating to China. She was instructed to transit in Cambodia before continuing her journey — but instead, she was sold to a human trafficking syndicate upon arrival.
“The victim was sold to the syndicate on September 1 and tortured with electric shocks daily. Task force teams and Cambodian police raided the location twice, but failed to rescue her,” he said.
The syndicate allegedly claimed Ong owed them money, forcing her to sign a fake debt agreement as justification for her captivity and abuse.
At one point, Ong’s family considered paying the ransom after losing hope in local authorities’ ability to secure her release. However, MHO advised them to hold off on payment, as efforts were underway to rescue her without paying the syndicate.
“We managed to establish contact with Ong and guided her on how to escape the compound. Our MHO team then sent representatives to pick her up — and thankfully, the rescue was successful,” Hishamuddin said.
He added that Ong is expected to arrive at KLIA2 at 6 PM tomorrow, where a press conference will be held upon her return.
Regarding next steps, Hishamuddin said the case would be handed over to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for further action.
“The victim may be temporarily detained for questioning if necessary, but otherwise, she’ll be allowed to reunite with her family. There is always a risk that the syndicate could track her down — but based on our experience, once they know she’s under MHO protection, they won’t dare to act further,” he added.
