ID :
66304
Thu, 06/18/2009 - 07:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/66304
The shortlink copeid
HUMAN TRAFFICKING: MALAYSIA WANTS US EMBASSY TO EXPLAIN
PUTRAJAYA, June 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will seek an explanation from the United States (US) Embassy after the country put Malaysia on its list of countries suspected of not doing enough to combat human trafficking.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the move was to identify the causes
leading to the allegations and claims.
"In 2007, we were placed on level three and at the time, a special
legislation had to be drafted. At that time, the anti-human trafficking act was
introduced and our status had been brought down to level two.
"Today, we were put back on three so we will see the US Embassy to identify
what really are the allegations and claims," he told reporters here Wednesday.
He said that if in 2007 Malaysia looked at it proactively and reacted
prositively with regard to the matter, he was sure that the same would be done
to tackle the allegations.
The US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 that analysed
efforts in more than 173 countries to combat human trafficking had blacklisted
Malaysia and 16 other countries.
The report said that Malaysia became a destination and at least a source and
transit country for the trafficking of women and children for the purpose of
commercial sexual exploitation and men, women and children for the purpose of
forced labour.
Last year, Malaysia was removed from the list and put on the Level 2
watchlist.
Hishammuddin said Malaysia would use the same mechanism to interact with the
US Embassy to find out what had made them so concerned and would do whatever
it takes to overcome the issue.
However, he said, there were limitations in terms of border and others, and
the US was realistic about it that they would take that into consideration.
"But otherwise, I feel that they are making judgement on something that is
beyond of our control. That would be unfair.
"I just need to know from them what is it that has become an issue. If it is
within our control, we will do whatever it takes to overcome it," he said.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said that from Monday, he would visit areas
considered as hot spots for having high crime rates so that the ministry could
look at the measures to be taken to tackle the problem.
"The time has come for me to see for myself the situation down there.
"If before this I saw our staff at the Prisons Department, police and
Immigration Department, next week I will go down to the areas considered as hot
spots where crimes happen, like meeting the victims of loan sharks," he said.
Meanwhile at the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Home Minister Abu
Seman Yusop said it was wrong to blacklist Malaysia as one of the worst human
trafficking countries and to accuse the country of not doing anything to curb
the problem.
He said the government had set up a committee to act on this matter and
various actions had been taken since the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act.
"The authorities had arrested quite a number of illegal entries through
Malaysian waters recently and kept close cooperation with our neighbours like
Australia.
"Recently, the advisor to the prime minister of Australia came to discuss
common issues including human trafficking," he said.
Deputy Lower House Speaker Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who is also chairman
of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) described the listing of
Malaysia in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 as a
political ploy.
"In 2006 when the country did not have the Act dealing with human
trafficking, the US accused us of failing to comply with the United Nations
regulations while many other countries also did not have such an Act.
"When we have the Act in force, they did not change the country's position
from Level 3 to Level 2 so here it looks like something quite suspicious," he
said.
He said that during the IAPA's first meeting in April, Malaysia had reached
a resolution together with other Asean countries to focus on the harmonisation
laws dealing with human trafficking.
"We will bring the resolution to the AIPA meeting in August in Thailand
because it is a very important agenda to be discussed," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the move was to identify the causes
leading to the allegations and claims.
"In 2007, we were placed on level three and at the time, a special
legislation had to be drafted. At that time, the anti-human trafficking act was
introduced and our status had been brought down to level two.
"Today, we were put back on three so we will see the US Embassy to identify
what really are the allegations and claims," he told reporters here Wednesday.
He said that if in 2007 Malaysia looked at it proactively and reacted
prositively with regard to the matter, he was sure that the same would be done
to tackle the allegations.
The US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 that analysed
efforts in more than 173 countries to combat human trafficking had blacklisted
Malaysia and 16 other countries.
The report said that Malaysia became a destination and at least a source and
transit country for the trafficking of women and children for the purpose of
commercial sexual exploitation and men, women and children for the purpose of
forced labour.
Last year, Malaysia was removed from the list and put on the Level 2
watchlist.
Hishammuddin said Malaysia would use the same mechanism to interact with the
US Embassy to find out what had made them so concerned and would do whatever
it takes to overcome the issue.
However, he said, there were limitations in terms of border and others, and
the US was realistic about it that they would take that into consideration.
"But otherwise, I feel that they are making judgement on something that is
beyond of our control. That would be unfair.
"I just need to know from them what is it that has become an issue. If it is
within our control, we will do whatever it takes to overcome it," he said.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said that from Monday, he would visit areas
considered as hot spots for having high crime rates so that the ministry could
look at the measures to be taken to tackle the problem.
"The time has come for me to see for myself the situation down there.
"If before this I saw our staff at the Prisons Department, police and
Immigration Department, next week I will go down to the areas considered as hot
spots where crimes happen, like meeting the victims of loan sharks," he said.
Meanwhile at the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Home Minister Abu
Seman Yusop said it was wrong to blacklist Malaysia as one of the worst human
trafficking countries and to accuse the country of not doing anything to curb
the problem.
He said the government had set up a committee to act on this matter and
various actions had been taken since the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act.
"The authorities had arrested quite a number of illegal entries through
Malaysian waters recently and kept close cooperation with our neighbours like
Australia.
"Recently, the advisor to the prime minister of Australia came to discuss
common issues including human trafficking," he said.
Deputy Lower House Speaker Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who is also chairman
of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) described the listing of
Malaysia in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 as a
political ploy.
"In 2006 when the country did not have the Act dealing with human
trafficking, the US accused us of failing to comply with the United Nations
regulations while many other countries also did not have such an Act.
"When we have the Act in force, they did not change the country's position
from Level 3 to Level 2 so here it looks like something quite suspicious," he
said.
He said that during the IAPA's first meeting in April, Malaysia had reached
a resolution together with other Asean countries to focus on the harmonisation
laws dealing with human trafficking.
"We will bring the resolution to the AIPA meeting in August in Thailand
because it is a very important agenda to be discussed," he said.
-- BERNAMA
