KUALA LUMPUR: A 22-year-old Sarawakian student was looking forward to a new life in university in Australia when everything fell apart around her.
The student, who wished to be known as Lim, claimed she had paid RM12,800 to an agency that was supposed to arrange for her admission to university as well as accommodation, insurance, student visa and flight ticket to Sydney in January.
Lim, who wanted to study for a diploma in Hospitality Management, found an advertisement promoting the agency’s services on Facebook.
She called the agency, apparently based in Penang, and spoke to someone named Lyn.
“Lyn told me it would cost about RM20,000 to get me into the education programme. She even offered to get me a part-time job once I reach Australia,“ she told a press conference at the office of MCA Public Complaints and Bureau head Datuk Seri Michael Chong today.
But when she did not hear from the agency after a few weeks, she contacted the college and was told that her name was not on the list of new students and that the institution had no links with the agency.
It was then that she realised she had been duped. She lodged a report with the police in Penang on April 1 and later brought her case to Chong.
Chong advised students to attend education fairs where, he said, they could get all the information they needed and the offers were genuine.
