After more than three weeks, missing Malaysian girl Chia Min Yong has unfortunately yet to find her way home.
However, some light has been shed on her possible whereabouts courtesy of a Penang politician.
He’s claimed that the 22-year-old is being confined in Myanmar by an illegal organisation.
Source: MySelangor on Facebook
According to him, she’s now being regarded as a “cash cow” due to the considerable reward being offered for her.
In an interview published on Wednesday (27 Apr), Mr Patrick Ooi, president of the opposition Penang Front Party, told Nanyang Siang Pao that he’d received word from an informant in Myanmar.
That person said Ms Chia is confined inside a hostel in Myanmar, and doesn’t need to work.
That’s because the illegal group she’s with has determined that she’s a “cash cow”.
Source: My Selangor on Facebook
In fact, that group has already determined the amount that her freedom is worth, and might even “sell” her to other felons so they can ask her family for a ransom.
In an earlier video posted on Facebook, Mr Ooi claimed that his sources would be able to find a missing person in Malaysia within three days, using avenues like social media.
Better still, they won’t even need to spend a cent to do it, he added.
Source: Penang Front Party on Facebook
He then alleged that Ms Chia had been brought from the Thailand border to Myanmar, lured by a job offer that promised a salary of S$3,170 (RM10,000) to S$6,340 (RM20,000).
However, he cast doubt on the genuineness of such a good offer, saying if the job aspirants failed to meet their sales targets, they could be “sold” back to their families.
Mr Ooi also advised a certain “influencer from Singapore” not to use money to look for someone.
He told Nanyang Siang Pao that it’s actually simple to save someone, and used to cost about S$2,220 (RM7,000) to S$2,538 (RM8,000).
However, the price has now gone up to S$4,757 (RM15,000), he said.
For Ms Chia’s case, it not much money was originally needed to “redeem” her, but now, he added,
Things have become more complicated.
The Penang politician is currently helping young people who have been tricked by job offers and ended up in Myanmar, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (27 Apr), he said there are currently more than 100 Malaysians in the “Golden Triangle” between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Just over 10 have successfully returned.
He urged their families and friends to furnish their complete info and photos to help with their repatriation.
Now, he’s waiting for his two informants in Myanmar to come back, before heading back to rescue more people.
If Mr Ooi’s claims are true, it seems that bringing Ms Chia back might not be so straightforward after all.
But whatever the facts of the matter may be, we can all agree that her safety is of utmost priority.
Hopefully, she’s reunited with her family soon, no matter what the cost.
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Featured images adapted from MySelangor on Facebook.
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