Mashitah's Myanmar visit linked to real estate deal, trafficking investigation underway, police say

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Police have confirmed that former deputy minister Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim travelled to Myanmar for property investment purposes, amid an ongoing investigation into her alleged involvement in human trafficking activities.

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

However, Commissioner Mohd Shuhaily stressed that police were continuing their investigation into allegations of human trafficking involving Mashitah and other Malaysians in Myanmar.

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

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

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

“The police have launched an investigation and I have full confidence in their professionalism in handling the case,” he said at a recent event in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, on Sunday.

Saifuddin also shared lessons learned 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, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the investigation was being conducted under Section 12 of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act 2007 (Atipsom).

He also confirmed that the police were looking for a certain “Datuk Seri” to assist in the investigation, which is believed to involve a female politician and her husband.

Mashitah has denied any involvement in illegal activities, dismissing the accusations as baseless and saying his visit to Myanmar in 2020 was purely for real estate investment.

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

She also said she would take legal action against anyone who tried to defame her.

The controversy surfaced after civil society group Justice for Myanmar alleged in May that Malaysians, including Mashitah and her husband Datuk Abdul Shakor Abu Bakar, had played significant roles in projects linked to the Karen Border Guard Force, which is allied with the Myanmar junta.

Justice for Myanmar welcomed the ongoing police investigation, urging Malaysia to demonstrate its commitment to combating human trafficking and cyber slavery as it prepares to chair ASEAN next year.

Commissioner Mohd Shuhaily also advised the public to exercise caution when receiving job offers from abroad, especially from countries known for scams.

He urged individuals to check such offers through official channels such as the Interior Ministry or the Labor Ministry.