254 cases of human trafficking taken to court from January to June

PUTRAJAYA: A total 254 human trafficking cases has been reported here as of June 2017.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said out of the number, 67 convictions were obtained.
Ahmad Zahid added there is a positive development in efforts by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) in disbursing their tasks and managing human trafficking victims.
He added Putrajaya's collaboration with the NGOs is in line with the nation's commitment in implementing the amendments of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti- Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007 that comes into effect on November 2015.
"In supporting this collaboration, the government has funded a sum of RM1,386,500 to the Good Shepherd Community Centre and Tenaganita Sdn Bhd to run a pilot project in managing human trafficking victims.
"The government has also appointed three human trafficking victim centres in Sabah, Selangor and Penang," he said.
Ahmad Zahid added while Malaysia remains in Tier 2 of the United States annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, it has been taken off the Watch List.
He added the achievement of being taken off the Watch List was made as Malaysia implemented significant efforts to oblige to the international standards of United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (Untoc) and Trafficking Victim Protection Act 2000 (TVPA).
"And today's meeting also focused on ways to improve Malaysia's achievement from the TIP report in the upcoming evaluation.
"This achievement was due to the Mapo's commitment in increasing the efforts to investigate, court trial process and conviction in human trafficking cases, as well as improving the victim protection management," he said.