KDN: 992 human trafficking victims rescued since 2022

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 280 human trafficking cases have been recorded since 2022 with 526 individuals arrested and 992 victims rescued, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.

For this year alone, he said, a total of 38 cases have been recorded, with 59 arrests and 141 people rescued.

He was responding to a question from Muhammad Ismi Mat Taib (PN-Parit) during the question-andanswer session in the Dewan Rakyat Tuesday.

Muhammad Ismi wanted to know about the Home Ministry’s (KDN) efforts in dealing with crime, particularly human trafficking.

Besides enforcement through the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and AntiSmuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670) which was amended in 2022, he said, the ministry also introduced various initiatives, including for employers to take the pledge to assist the government in combatting human trafficking and forced labour.

According to Shamsul Anuar, 28 companies have carried out the initiative so far.

“All companies that get contracts from the KDN are also required to take the pledge,” he said.

The government, he said, also has strategic cooperation with neighbouring countries through the ASEAN platform, including the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational (AMMTC) and the meeting of senior officials, to highlight the issue of fraudulent crimes, including human trafficking activities.

“The issue (human trafficking) is a regular agenda at both meetings,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (BN-Jempol) regarding cooperation among ASEAN countries to address fraudulent crimes, including job scams.