KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Malaysia’s efforts to improve its standing in the annual US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report were stymied due to the recent change in government, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
But he also said it was commendable to reach Tier 2 in the latest TIP, and attributed it to the combined efforts of the Home Ministry and local law enforcement agencies in curbing human trafficking and migrant smuggling crimes.
“Efforts have been made to elevate Malaysia's standing to Tier 1 where citizens do not require a valid visa to enter the United States but we failed to achieve that position due to the change in government and also possibly it was a non-priority of the previous government,” he said in a news conference at the Sunway Resort Hotel here.
He added that Malaysia’s improved ranking will have a positive impact on the country’s trade sector and counter negative perceptions related to the issue of forced labour.
He expressed confidence that Malaysia’s ranking will continue to improve with the government agencies, including the police now under the leadership of newly minted Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, cooperating with the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Earlier in his speech during the 23rd FBI National Academy Associates Asia Pacific Chapter Retraining Conference at the hotel, Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia still has room for improvement.
“While I am glad that Malaysia’s listing on the Tier-2 Watch List of the US State Department's annual TIP Report has a positive impact on our trade sector, and counters negative perceptions related to the issue of forced labour in the country, I personally believe we need to do more,” he said.
Last year, Malaysia was ranked Tier 3, deemed as not making enough effort to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling crimes with anti-trafficking investigations declining and fewer prosecutions of government officials allegedly involved in such crimes.
Malaysia 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.
Prior to that, it was again on Tier 2 Watch List from 2015 to 2016.
Countries are ranked by tier, with Tier 1 as the highest of the four.
Placements are made based on the extent of government efforts to meet the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000.
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.
Countries whose governments neither meet the minimum standards nor make significant efforts to do so are placed on Tier 3 and may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign assistance.
The International Labour Organisation identified conditions such as excessive working hours, unpaid overtime, low wages, restricted movement, and being unable to quit among its indicators of forced labour.
