Mashitah’s Myanmar visit linked to real estate deal, human trafficking investigation ongoing, police say

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Police have confirmed that former Deputy Minister Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim visited Myanmar for property investments, amid an ongoing investigation into her alleged involvement in human trafficking.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said police had established that Mashitah’s trip to Myanmar was related to a property transaction in Myawaddy, Myanmar, as reported by The StaR.

However, Comm Mohd Shuhaily stressed that police are continuing their investigation into the human trafficking allegations involving Mashitah and other Malaysians in Myanmar.

“We have also recorded the statement of a person with a Datuk Seri title in connection with the same case,” he said, adding that police have recorded statements from five people, including Mashitah.

“We will also record the statement of an Indonesian blogger today, which will be made online due to his location in Jakarta,” added Comm Mohd Shuhaily.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that the investigation was ongoing, but declined to comment further to avoid speculation.

“The police have launched an investigation and I am confident that they will handle the matter professionally,” he said at a recent event in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu on Sunday.

Saifuddin also shared insights from the recent ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Laos, noting that human trafficking is on the rise in all participating countries.

On Sunday, police inspector Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the investigation is being conducted under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act, 2007.

He also confirmed that police are looking for a “Datuk Seri” to assist in the investigation, which reportedly involves a politician and her husband.

Mashitah denies involvement in illegal activities and dismisses the allegations as baseless, claiming her visit to Myanmar in 2020 was solely for real estate investment.

“It was pure coincidence that my friend invited me to take a photo at his project there,” she wrote on Facebook, responding to allegations of her involvement in cyber fraud developments in Karen State.

She further stated that she would take legal action against anyone who tries to defame her.

The controversy came to light after civil society organisation Justice for Myanmar alleged in May that Malaysians, including Mashitah and her husband Datuk Abdul Shakor Abu Bakar, played key roles in projects linked to the Karen Border Guard Force, an ally of the Myanmar junta.

Justice for Myanmar welcomes the ongoing police investigation and urges Malaysia to demonstrate its commitment to combating human trafficking and cyber slavery as the country prepares to chair ASEAN next year.

Comm Mohd Shuhaily also advised the public to be cautious when receiving job offers from abroad, especially from countries known for scams.

He urged people to verify such offers through official channels such as the Ministry of the Interior or the Ministry of Labor.