PUTRAJAYA, June 16 — The authorities have identified public officials that act as key enablers of human smuggling crime syndicates, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said today as he vowed to tighten anti-trafficking laws and clamp down on corrupt officers.

Malaysia was recently upgraded to Tier 2 Watchlist of the 2023 United States' Trafficking in Persons report but was still lagging in many areas, including the poor rate of investigation that leads to the prosecution of government officers who either directly or indirectly facilitate human smuggling.

How deep is the rot is unclear. Addressing reporters here, Saifuddin said it would be "premature” to state just how extensive the corruption is although the minister conceded that the problem is serious enough to warrant urgent action.

"I reserve my comment on that it’s quite premature for me to assume because just because the US has put it up (in their TIP report) it doesn’t mean I have to really focus on that, I have to be fair,” he said.

"There are 15 recommendations and one of them was, stated clearly, cases of human trafficking that involve public officers. In all the actions we’ve taken that segment has yet to be touched on. How serious it is I can’t comment yet.”

Still, Saifuddin hailed Malaysia’s ranking upgrade in the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) as a sign of recognition towards the government’s efforts to tackle the problem.

In its latest 2023 report, Malaysia falls among other Southeast Asian countries like Brunei and Vietnam, and many other African countries in the Tier 2 watchlist.

Malaysia was on Tier 3 last year because of severely lagging efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling crimes, as anti-trafficking investigations declined and fewer government officials allegedly involved in such crimes were formally charged.

The third-largest Southeast Asian economy has been in Tier 3 for two years since 2021. It was on Tier 2 Watch List for the previous three years, from 2018 to 2020, although it was ranked on Tier 2 in 2017.

There was also improvement in the push to raise awareness among industry players in sectors regularly linked to forced labour, such as palm oil production. Malaysia is the world’s second largest palm oil producer and its plantations are among the biggest employers of migrant workers.

Another industry that was implicated is rubber glove production. There are still reports that some companies, often politically-connected, utilise forced labour.

Saifuddin said despite Malaysia’s ranking upgrade, the US Department of State still highlighted concerns about these allegations.

"Hence in this matter, the Anti-Trafficking of Persons and Anti-Migrant Smuggling Council that is spearheaded by the Home Ministry, together with other governmental agencies, will always take strategic actions and remain firm in our response to this (latest) report,” the minister said.

In its latest 2023 report, Malaysia is among other Southeast Asian countries like Brunei and Vietnam, and many other African countries in the Tier 2 watchlist.

Malaysia was on Tier 3 last year because of severely lagging efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling crimes, as anti-trafficking investigations declined and fewer government officials allegedly involved in such crimes were formally charged.

Tier 1 countries are the highest ranked, those whose governments fully meet the minimum standards of the TVPA while Tier 2 countries do not but are making significant efforts.

Tier 2 Watch List countries are those whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to do so, and for which the estimated number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing and the country is not taking proportional concrete actions.

Malaysia has faced accusations of forced labour in manufacturing and palm oil production over the years, including some by the United States, which banned imports from several of its firms for such practices.