'Be My Protector' event launched to stop scourge of human trafficking

SUBANG JAYA: A truck with emblazoned with the logo "Be My Protector" that aims to challenge Malaysians to stop human trafficking – by creating community intelligence, raising awareness and empowering them to act – will travel and dock in 16 locations in Subang Jaya, Damansara Utama and Kinrara including shopping malls, colleges and public areas starting from today until May 3.
The truck, which will kickstart the "Trapped: You can set them free", event one of its kind, featuring a flash mob, interactive scenes, live mannequin display and a Trapped Experience.
The campaign is jointly organised by Change Your World Sdn Bhd in collaboration with the Selangor State Government and Tenaganita over a period of three months ending July 25.
According to Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh, Subang Jaya is also the main hub for human trafficking activities.
"I am not proud to say that my constituency is the main hub for human trafficking activity eventhough it's a developed town.
"My first personal experience on human trafficking was when I just started working, I met a a local girl and she was injured. I brought her to a hospital and when doctor examined her, he found out that there are lots of scars all over her body and she was abused.
"As a state assemblyman, I always get complaints from local residents on foreign workers. Some people asked me to get police to arrest the foreign workers who are the sweepers at their residential areas. Just because they are foreign workers, it doesn't mean they commit crime. This is the perception that we need to break," said Yeoh today during the launch of "Be My Protector" campaign at Sunway Pyramid.
According to Kinrara state assemblyman Ng Sze Han, human trafficking doesn't only involve abandoned children or homeless kids as what most people think.
"Talking about human trafficking, many of us are not aware that it also involves also domestic workers. Domestic workers abuse is becoming serious in our country. There have been many complaints," he added.
Damansara Utama state assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin pointed out that Malaysia has dwindled down to the third tier of the world's human trafficking ranking.
"All of us know as politicians, we love to look at numbers, rankings and what tier Malaysia is at. Malaysia is at tier three, which is the worst ranking of human trafficking in the world.
"It is the same level as Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe, the countries that you do not want to be categorised together with. Politicians and people love to look at the numbers and numbers actually don't matter. What matters here are human lives and dignities," she added.
She also said that many girls were tricked under the pretext of coming here and working in restaurants only to end up working at massage parlours and providing sex services.
The event is fully sponsored by the offices of Hannah Yeoh, Yeo Bee Yin and Ng Sze Han with a total amount of RM60,000 in its coffers with the stated goal of having at least 30,000 people saving Tenaganita's rescue hotline number (012-335 0512) into their mobile phones in 9 days.
For those who want to join the cause, they can pick up a Protector Wristband and do three simple steps which involves saving the number, shooting a picture of the wristband with Tenaganita's hotline number and sharing it on social media.
Many public figures and celebrities have signed up to be "Be My Protector" ambassadors and hope that through their enthusiasm and influence they can help maximise the impact of this campaign.
Among them are Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) chief executive officer Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, human rights lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, musician Joe Flizzow, TV Host and actress Daphne Iking, to name a few.