Addressing the press: Saifuddin Nasution speaking to the media on the TIP report at the Home Ministry in Putrajaya. With him are (left) Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Ruji Ubi and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain. — ART CHEN/The Star
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s economy can expect a shot in the arm, now that the country has been elevated to the Tier 2 Watch List in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
Restrictions and impositions faced by the oil palm plantation industry would be eased as the country would no longer be seen as one that practises forced labour, said Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the “promotion” came with 15 recommendations – including checking the involvement of civil servants in human trafficking incidents – which could be put in place.
“This new position will give Malaysian products better access to international markets. This is a relief because a lower ranking would affect our economy,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The US State Department’s annual TIP Report 2023 showed that Malaysia is now back on the Tier 2 Watch List category, where it had been placed from 2018 to 2020.
Tier 2 Watch List is for countries whose governments do not fully comply with the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with the standards.
Malaysia was in Tier 2 of the US TIP Report 2017 but fell to the Tier 2 Watch List from 2018 to 2020.
It dropped further to Tier 3 in 2021 and 2022.
Among the achievements that led to the current “promotion” were: an increase in the number of investigations; prosecutions and convictions; awareness programmes for the oil palm plantation sector; and better protection for human trafficking victims.
Saifuddin Nasution said the report also recommended better identification of victims among the vulnerable, domestic workers and employees in the oil palm and rubber gloves industries.
It said the Malaysian government did not meet the minimum standards by failing to sufficiently criminally prosecute labour traffickers in the palm oil and disposable glove manufacturing industry.
On the involvement of civil servants, the minister acknowledged that the same issue had been mentioned in last year’s report.
He said the report had asked the government to look into this as it detected a loophole concerning their involvement.
“None of those investigated and prosecuted were civil servants. The report detected this and wants us to look into it,” he said.
He further explained that public officers’ involvement could have been in the form of a lack of compliance and loopholes in regulations and enforcement which could have allowed human trafficking to occur.
Most such cases involved agents, employers and source countries.
Asked if this was alarming, Saifuddin Nasution said employers and agents were the main culprits, and not civil servants.
“But the body evaluating this felt human trafficking could not happen without the involvement of civil servants,” he added.
Nonetheless, Saifuddin Nasution gave an assurance that Malaysia would not compromise on this issue, adding that he had briefed the Cabinet on the TIP report.
“This, we will not compromise,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister had placed great importance on good governance.
He said Malaysia would focus on human trafficking, so that its position would not slip again.
The measures taken would include the arrest, investigation, prosecution and conviction of those involved in these activities, better protection for victims and allowing their free movement.
