Although labour trafficking is a huge facet of modern day slavery, there seems to be very few prosecutions of employers or agents engaged in this, said Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign acting coordinator James Lochhead.

human trafficking tip report 131607 prostitute held He alleged that thousands of undocumented migrant workers deported or detained under the 6P programme had revealed that they were kept in conditions that "equate to trafficking".

Lochhead said this at the relaunch of the Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign in Tanjung Bungah where US ambassador Joseph Y Yun represented a mock cheque of USD17,000 for the campaign to the National Coalition of Women's Organisations.

Penang branch chairperson Yeap Meng Chee accepted the cheque on behalf of the campaign.

State executive councillor for Youths and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Chong Eng also attended the event.

Lochhead said the researchers working on the topic of sex trade encountered the usual difficulty in getting information which helps keep the existence of human trafficking hidden.

human trafficking tip report 131607 parading prostitute He added that research done by Jaringan Utara Migrasu dan Perlarian (Jump) has identified 200 locations used for sex trade in Penang.

Research done by Todd Morrison for Jump also found four major categories of users - residents, businessmen, tourists and migrants, he added.

"So part of our campaign is to be clear what roles different people play in this sordid world of human trafficking and to devise appropriate strategies and messages to prompt better awareness. In time it will hopefully prompt changed decisions and changed behaviour," said Lochhead.

"We need to work together to get the right pitch of the message. But we can surely imagine the day where, perhaps without the state government's support, we will work with the tourist industry to take the appropriate messages in the appropriate way into our hotels," he added.

Lochhead said the NGOs also needed to work with employers' federations, corporate sectors, migrant communities, village development and security committees (JKKKs) and faith-based organisations.

"There are further opportunities, for example, to work with local municipal councils to ensure that licensing of premises is done far more stringently and showing a greater sensitivity to the possibility of human trafficking," he said.

When asked if Penang would introduce a fair labour audit, Chong Eng said: "We will look into it but business is business."