KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: An allegation against Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, a former Malaysian deputy minister, recently resurfaced, accusing her of involvement in the development of Dongmei Park, an alleged transnational crime hub, during her visit to Karen State, Myanmar, in 2020.
The Malaysian police have confirmed that an investigation into the allegation is underway.
According to Malaysian media outlet The Star, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain confirmed that Dr Mashitah visited Myanmar at that time “for a real estate investment matter in Myawaddy.”
“We were able to check and confirm it. This is after recording her statement last week,” he said when contacted by The Star on 3 September.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily added that the CID is continuing its investigation into allegations of human trafficking involving Malaysians in Myanmar.
“We have also recorded the statement of an individual with a Datuk Seri title in relation to the same case,” he said, noting that statements have been taken from five individuals, including Dr Mashitah.
The issue was first raised in May this year by a civil society group called Justice for Myanmar, which alleged that Malaysians played a significant role in the Yatai New City and Dongmei Park projects, linked to the Myanmar junta-allied Karen Border Guard Force, now rebranded as the Karen National Army.
According to JFM, Dr Mashitah and her husband, Datuk Abdul Shakor Abu Bakar, allegedly joined a contingent of prominent Malaysians to launch the Dongmei Park project, which it described as “a cyber scam park.”
Dr Mashitah served as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department from 2008 to 2013, while her husband, Abdul Shakor, is a former diplomat who was previously stationed in Egypt.
The matter gained renewed attention when the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) called for an investigation into Dr Mashitah’s involvement with the developer Dongmei Group on 28 August.
MHO cited a YouTube video by the Indonesian investigative news outlet Deduktif, which highlighted issues of human trafficking in Myanmar.
Dr Mashitah Refutes Allegations, Says 2020 Myanmar Trip Was for Event Attendance
However, on Tuesday, Dr Mashitah denied the allegations, asserting that her visit to Myanmar was solely for attending an event as a guest.
In an interview with media outlet Kosmo!, the former explained that she and her husband were invited to a groundbreaking ceremony in Myanmar by their friend, Datuk Seri Leong Kee Huat.
She clarified that it was an international event and that Leong had asked her husband to deliver an English speech at the ceremony.
Dr Mashitah also refuted claims that photos showing her with alleged gangsters were actually images of her with security personnel at the project site.
She noted that it was common to encounter armed security personnel in Myanmar due to the country’s military junta rule.
Dr Mashitah emphasized that she and her husband only knew Leong and had no business dealings with anyone else at the event.
She has since filed a police report and provided her statement to the authorities.
Wan Kuok-koi, Former 14K Triad Leader Known as Broken Tooth, Is a Principal Investor in Dongmei Park
Separately, Justice for Myanmar (JFM) welcomed the Malaysian authorities’ investigation into Dr Mashitah and her husband in a statement released on 29 August.
“We urge the police to conduct a swift investigation into Mashitah Ibrahim and Abdul Shakor, as well as all other Malaysian nationals involved in cyber scam parks in Myanmar, and to hold them accountable under the law. ”
JFM highlighted that Dongmei Park, formerly known as Saixigang Industrial Park, is operated with trafficked labor subjected to forced criminality, torture, and extortion.
Tight security measures, including watchtowers and guards in military uniforms stationed at the main gate, prevent captives from escaping.
Despite Dr Mashitah’s denial of the allegations, JFM pointed out that substantial evidence linking the couple to Dongmei Park can be found in past posts on Mashitah Ibrahim’s own Facebook page. In one post, she referred to herself as an “iron lady” for the project.
One of the principal investors in Dongmei Park is Wan Kuok-koi, also known as Broken Tooth or Yin Gouju, a former leader of the 14K Triad, a major Chinese transnational criminal organization.
Wan Kuok-koi was sanctioned by the USA in 2020.
Dongmei Group, which includes the Hong Kong-registered Dongmei Investment Group Company Limited, is also sanctioned by the USA.
The company has two Malaysian directors and shareholders: Abdul Shakor bin Abu Bakar (who shares a similar name with Dr Mashitah’s husband) and Yong Mun Hong.
On social media platform X, JFM also shared a video of a person resembling Abdul Shakor delivering a speech in English during the 2020 Dongmei Park groundbreaking ceremony.
Wan Kuok-koi set up the Dongmei Park venture w/ well-connected Malaysians including Dato Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, her husband, Datuk Abdul Shakor bin Abu Bakar, Yong Mun Hong & Dato Sri Liong Kee Huat
Datuk Abdul Shakor bin Abu Bakar spoke at the park’s foundation laying ceremony 4/ pic.twitter.com/09ZEsSzwS4
— Justice For Myanmar (@JusticeMyanmar) June 20, 2024
JFM spokesperson Yadanar Maung urged Malaysia to demonstrate to the people of Myanmar and the region that it will not tolerate the involvement of its citizens in human trafficking and cyber slavery.
