PETALING JAYA (ANN/THE STAR) – Malaysia has been elevated to Tier 2 in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report released by the US State Department.
This promotion marks an improvement from last year’s placement on the Tier 2 Watch List.
In 2021 and 2022, Malaysia was in Tier 3, facing potential export sanctions due to insufficient measures against human trafficking.
Tier 2 countries are those that do not fully comply with the minimum standards to eradicate human trafficking but are making significant efforts to improve.
The report highlights that the Malaysian government has shown increased efforts compared to the previous year.
These efforts include ramping up trafficking investigations, particularly those involving labour trafficking, and convicting more traffickers under the law.
Additionally, the report noted that most traffickers received substantial sentences, and there have been efforts to raise public awareness and prosecute officials involved in trafficking.
“The government convicted significantly more labour traffickers than in the year prior. It also increased the number of trafficking prosecutions, increased funding for victim shelters and the anti-trafficking council,” read the report.
It said the government also facilitated more freedom of movement passes for victims receiving services in government and NGO-run shelters.
Despite the achievements, it said the government did not meet the minimum standards in several areas.
“The government also continued requiring victims to provide statements and participate in investigations and criminal proceedings to be formally identified as a victim and receive protection orders and trafficking-specific services,” it said.
The report added that the government prosecuted fewer traffickers and did not prosecute labour traffickers in the palm oil sector or the disposable glove manufacturing industry despite ongoing reports of trafficking in said sectors.
“Official complicity and corruption undermined anti-trafficking efforts and allowed traffickers to operate with impunity. This increased migrant workers’ vulnerability to trafficking,” it read.
It added that delays in prosecution, insufficient interagency coordination and victim services discouraged foreign victims from remaining in Malaysia to participate in criminal proceedings and continued to hinder successful anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts.
Malaysia falls among Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Vietnam, and many other African countries in the Tier 2 watchlist.
