While some mainland Chinese women go into prostitution with their eyes open,
others say they were forced into this grim job.
They say they came to Malaysia believing in the promise of a better life.
Their growing numbers have cast a negative light on legitimate mainland Chinese
working or studying in Malaysia.
Catherine Wang, Hotel Management Student from China, said: "Their illegal acts
have caused Malaysians to be prejudiced against us. Malays and Indians look
down on us. To them, we are seen as easy and vulnerable and that puts us in a
lot of danger."
Many of the Chinese nationals caught soliciting have overstayed their tourist
visas.
Michael Chong, Complaints Bureau Chief, Malaysia Chinese Association, said:
"They should go for the pimps, these girls you catch them you put them in
lockups you sent them back but the pimps are still doing the things. According
to them they pay about 17,000 to 20,000 ringgit per girl depending on how
beautiful they are."
Chew Mei Fun, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development,
Malaysia, said: "This problem has broken up many happy families. It's a serious
social issue and my ministry is very concerned. I received numerous complaints
in recent months so I notified the police and they've taken action. However,
such activities are everywhere and are spreading from urban to rural areas so
they're very difficult to control or eliminate."
Aware of the situation, the Malaysian Immigration Department has halved the
permitted period of stay for China tourists, from one month to two weeks.
Beyond enforcement, Ms Chew says the government will try and revive among
Malaysian men a strong sense of duty and responsibility towards their families.
Ms Chew said: "What's important is all husbands should put their families first
and cherish their relationship with their wives and children because previous
instances showed that the husbands always ended up with nothing. Some even had
to sell their land and property and were deserted by their families."
To counter these negative influences, the Malaysian government has launched a
nationwide campaign called "Bring Your Hearts Homes".
The emphasis is on family and community activities to promote bonding and unity
to strengthen the foundation of Malaysian families.
