Students fall victim to ‘Malaysia-work-study’ scam

Bogus agencies offer study & work packages in Malaysia as they take advantage of misinformed students and their families.

Con artists learn to prefect their trade and lure misinformed and desperate individuals to fall for their elaborate scams. These artists may come in the form of individuals, companies, corporations, and even universities.

These people and organisations pray on basic human psychology where they abuse people’s insecurities and helplessness to make their profits. People easily fall for appearances and show of glamour and success. Big scammers can hold grand ceremonies to reward and attract new "customers". These ceremonies tend to have figures of authorities, celebrities, political leaders, religious leaders, media organisations, foreigners from different countries, and big brand affiliations.

Scam universities hold welcome ceremonies, or graduation ceremonies that can be so elaborate they rival welcomes by Ivy League universities.

Behind the scene, however, things are very different. The reality of these institutions is high cost and no real value, no lecturers and no classes and the degree awarded can be best described as a very expensive piece of paper.

Sooner or later, reality hits hard and victims realise that they have fallen for dazzling brands, wasted their time and money, and messed up their future. One of the more famous programmes that ended up in a lot of trouble was the real estate training programme offered by Trump University LLC that went defunt after numerous lawsuits. In many cases, however scam artists are rarely prosecuted. After all the saying goes “the law does not protect the ignorant”.

Recently, Malaysian authorities uncovered a systematic way used by dubious agents in countries like Bangladesh and Nepal to lure students to Malaysia under false pretence. These agencies offer ‘packages’ to misinformed individuals and their families that promises study and work opportunities.

These claims are simply not true. People are falling for it while these agencies are making money off of families who are in desperate need for money. The Malaysian government is slowly lifting the ban on foreign workers. However, the situation for students doesn’t change, it remains work or study and not both.

Many of these agencies offer packages that include tuition fees, EMGS fees, flight tickets, airport pickup and a job offer. All that costs up to RM12,000.

EMGS is a government authorised agency that is setup to regulate the flow of foreign students into Malaysia. However, nowhere in the government's regulations, EMGS policies or universities' terms that students are allowed to work or get a job beyond the set standards.

Agencies are promising non-existing fulltime and part-time work opportunities in Malaysia. Media reports claim that some of these agencies go as far as promising RM2,600 monthly pay for a 6 hour daily job in Malaysia, when in reality not even Malaysian fresh graduates can earn as much.

The only work opportunities that exist in Malaysia and authorised by the Malaysian government and the Ministry of Education are part-time jobs in positions like waiters/waitresses for a period that does not exceed 20 hours per week.

In order for international students to do these part-time jobs, students need to obtain the permission of the university they study at. Students are also required to disclose their academic record and attendance to the immigration authorities. Students will be interviewed for further assessment and then granted their work permit. However, there is nothing that guarantees the issuing of a work permit and regulations are subject to change at any minute.

There are many sorry tales of international students from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and other countries in the region who were scammed into paying large amounts of money to get into Malaysia and end up in illegal circumstances that put them in even more expensive situations.

Due to the poor conditions in these countries, students are desperate to get an education and tend to grab chances that might sound too good to be true. Unfortunately, many of these students have a great academic record from their school and yet lack the opportunity to pursue their tertiary education.

Desperation is a sickening condition that gives con artists the opportunity to take advantage of these people and rob them of money they desperately need. The only reason these people are willing to cash out their savings and even to borrow more money is to give the opportunity to their children to build a better life at a better place. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these people become an easy target to ill-willed people who care about nothing but making an extra buck off of the backs of the poor.