PETALING JAYA: It only costs RM1,600 to secure a job in a South Korean factory or plantation that promises high salaries, according to advertisements by a “travel agency”.
The “work and travel package” advertised as “The Most Affordable Job Opportunity” on Facebook supposedly provides services such as pre-travel briefing, planning travel itinerary, two-night stay in Seoul and “job management services”.
The agency operated by a Malaysian based in South Korea will provide a dormitory as well as transport to the workplace.
This agency is just one of many that are offering such services online. Instead of a work permit, jobseekers would be brought in as tourists.
Malaysia is not listed as a labour source country for the sectors under the South Korean Employment Permit System (EPS).
However, for non-professional work, the permit is limited to household assistants only.
Malaysians are only allowed to work as professionals such as foreign language instructors, professors and technical instructors.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said abusing tourist visas to work overseas will only cause difficulties for genuine travellers.“Malaysians travelling to other countries to work should obtain proper permits and work visas.
“(Otherwise), this will not only cause potential difficulties for the traveller in question but will also negatively affect other Malaysians travelling as tourists in the future,” he said, while calling out travel agencies acting as “double agents” by promoting employment offers in South Korea.
Wong said the government should take proactive measures to weed out such operators.
“Illegal travel agents or those found abusing tourist visas should be immediately reported. The relevant ministry, together with other authorities, should also take a more proactive role in prosecuting these illegal operators to the fullest extent of the law.
“The public should be very suspicious of services being offered through social media channels as many ‘travel agents’ may actually be operating illegally and are not licensed travel agencies at all,” he said, adding that information on legitimate agencies can be found on the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry website.
Malaysian Tourism Federation (MTF) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said such acts by dubious travel agencies will only tarnish the reputation and integrity of legitimate agencies.
“In MTF, we certainly do not condone such activities if they exist as this will tarnish the reputation and integrity of travel agencies as a whole,” he said.
Tan said Malaysia and South Korea currently enjoy good bilateral relations with the countries being preferred travel destinations for citizens of both countries.
Migrant workers’ rights group Our Journey director SK Sumitha said Malaysians need to be aware of the risks of possible exploitation.
“Malaysians seeking work abroad need to be mindful, especially if they are asked to travel there on fake documents or on tourist visas or lie to immigration in South Korea.
“These are all indicators that the job is a scam, and you will find yourself in an exploitative situation or trafficked,” she said.
Meanwhile, sources at Bukit Aman said police have yet to receive any report of job scam cases in South Korea.
“There are no reports on such cases from any victim or the Korean authorities,” said a source.
When contacted, the South Korea Embassy in Malaysia declined to comment.
Wisma Putra has previously advised Malaysians to be cautious over job vacancies overseas advertised on questionable platforms such as social media or mobile applications that offer high salaries.
According to a separate general travel advisory by the Foreign Ministry, Malaysians planning to travel overseas are advised to inquire about visa requirements at the mission of their country of destination.
“On arrival at the destination, Malaysians who are planning to stay for more than three months in the foreign country are required to register at the nearest Malaysian mission,” it said.
It is also important to ensure that the place and country of destination is safe to visit, the validity date of their passport is more than six months, and they have their passports and relevant documents along with details of their next of kin.
