Human trafficking under watch

Our efforts in tackling the issue monitored by the US for TIP report

LUMPUR: Malaysia’s efforts in tackling human trafficking will come under scrutiny again as the United States prepares to take another global look at the scourge.

The year-in-review for the 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report ends in March, after which the US State Department will start assessing the progress achieved by countries over the last 12 months.

In the 2017 TIP report, Malaysia was upgraded to Tier 2 from the Tier 2 Watch List.

The latest report is expected to be out by the end of June.

US Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said the review would cover Malaysia’s investigation, prosecution and conviction of trafficking cases, as well as victim treatment and protection.

“There is also the element of prevention. That if you do this, there will be a consequence and accountability,’’ she said in an interview.

The State Department places each country onto one of three tiers based on the extent of their governments’ efforts to comply with the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”.

A Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem and complies with the minimum standards.

Countries listed in Tier 2 are those who do not fully comply with the department’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with it, while a Tier 3 ranking shows failure to meet these standards and little effort taken to improve.

The TIP 2017 report stated that Malaysia did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas including victim protection efforts, which it said remained largely inadequate.

Lakhdhir said the embassy continued to work closely with the ministries concerned in Malaysia, and NGOs and civil society bodies that have been co-opted to address human trafficking.

Industries and companies were also now jointly involved in the effort, she revealed.

“I attended a conference recently by the Responsible Business Alliance on how companies can guarantee that the global supply chain and all their suppliers and labour recruiters are ethically recruiting migrant labour.

“They have done a lot of work in terms of ensuring ethical standards and auditing to guarantee that if they are employing foreign workers in Malaysia, they are not bonded labour,’’ the envoy added.

On Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s view that Malaysia aimed to get into Tier 1 by 2020, Lakhdhir said she was working closely with the Deputy Prime Minister “to make as much progress as possible in all the areas”.

“The truth about trafficking is that it’s a long-term, ongoing struggle. This is true everywhere, so no one year’s action will be enough. It continues on and putting in place things every year to make progress, is my goal,’’ she added.

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who, as the Home Minister, is spearheading Malaysia’s battle against human trafficking, had said that the country’s fresh initiatives included creating a special court to deal with such cases.

The truth about trafficking is that it’s a long-term, ongoing struggle. This is true everywhere, so no one year’s action will be enough. Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir