Malaysia aims for Tier 1 in anti-human trafficking report by 2020 (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will up its ante in its effort to achieve Tier 1 Watchlist in the US Department of State (JNAS) Trafficking in Person report by 2020.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in launching the National Action Plan for Anti-Human Trafficking (NAP TIP) 2016-2020, said he was confident the country would achieve the feat through the commitment and cooperation of its enforcement, legislation, protection and publicity machineries.
"We will fight this crime, and subsequently improve the image and integrity of our country, and place Malaysia in Tier 1 on par with other developed nations," he said during the launch of the action plan after chairing a High Level Committee Meeting on Human Trafficking, here, today.
Malaysia currently ranks in the Tier 2 Watchlist in the recently released 2016 US TIP Report.
The NAP TIP 2016-2020 is a continuation of the first one which was launched on March 30, 2010 for the year 2010-2015.
Ahmad Zahid said the newly-launched action plan would be a source for reference and basic guide for ministries, government agencies and NGOs in planning strategies and initiatives to combat human trafficking.
NAP TIP 2016-2020 has outlined five guiding principles namely government's responsibility, civil society's involvement, treatment of human trafficking victims, coordination between various government agencies and NGOs, and systematic evaluation.
The action plan would also be supported by nine fields of programmes, including the strengthening of law mechanisms, concerted actions among enforcement agencies, curbing of labor trafficking, information exchanges.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid has expressed his frustration over how certain countries are ranked higher on the JNAS watchlist than Malaysia despite being the source of human trafficking.
"It is unfair when there are countries, which are the cause of trafficking in person, and they get a better ranking than us.
"We are serious (about combating this crime), but at the same time, the international community needs to make sure the country-source for human trafficking are not given higher recognition than us," he said adamantly.