PETALING JAYA, Aug 3 — Efforts to eradicate human trafficking should not only solely fall on the shoulders of the government as it needs the involvement of the people as well.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said while enforcement activities are carried out via various approaches including air, sea and land, all parties should give serious attention to the issue as national security is a joint responsibility.

"To ensure the success of the country on the matter, it is of utmost importance that all of us take an interest in the country’s security together and attract more foreigners to come as investors, visitors and workers,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after opening the "Aviation Against Trafficking In Persons Conference (AATIP-C) 2022” held in conjunction with the World Day Against Trafficking In Persons 2022 here today.

Apart from that, Hamzah said the government would continue to tighten border control at all gateways into the country including rat trails apart from stepping up programmes to create the people’s awareness of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Hamzah said according to the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (MAPO) statistics, from 2015 to June this year, a total of 1,972 trafficking cases were reported while 2,902 people were arrested in connection with the cases.

"In an effort to combat human trafficking in Malaysia, the government has enacted a special law, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act or Atipsom (2007), which was enforced in 2008 and it was recently reviewed with the third amendment coming into force in early 2022,” he said. — Bernama