"Malaysian Bar Association: Untimely and Unwarranted Upgrade in the Trafficking in Persons Report Compromises the Fight Against Human Trafficking", 22 July 2015

The Malaysian Bar is perturbed by recent news reports suggesting that Malaysia will be upgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watch List status in the rankings in the...2015 Trafficking in Persons (“TIP”) repot...It is inconceivable that Malaysia should receive an upgrade in 2015 based on the recent amendments to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which, in any event, have yet to come into force.  If there is any lesson to be learnt from recent experience, it must be that the Government has an excellent record of drafting written plans, but a less than satisfactory record of implementing them.  As such, the upgrade of Malaysia, if it were to occur, would be premature and undeserved. Further, the gruesome discovery of the “death camps” and mass graves of victims of human trafficking in May 2015 must necessarily be taken into consideration in the decision concerning Malaysia’s current ranking, despite the cut-off date of March 2015 for the report. Such a discovery is irrefutable proof that human trafficking has been ongoing, on a large scale and for a considerable period of time, on Malaysian soil. The Malaysian Government’s alleged ignorance of this atrocity, which is incredulous, must not be disregarded or rewarded.