Muhyiddin: Gov't to provide skills training for trafficking victims
Putrajaya will provide elementary skills training and certificates for victims of human trafficking this year, Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.
This is part of Putrajaya's effort to improve their lives, the home minister told the National Conference on Anti-Trafficking in Persons in Kuala Lumpur...
Putrajaya will provide elementary skills training and certificates for victims of human trafficking this year, Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.
This is part of Putrajaya's effort to improve their lives, the home minister told the National Conference on Anti-Trafficking in Persons in Kuala Lumpur.
Besides this, Muhyiddin said, regulations have been gazetted to allow trafficking victims in shelter homes to move about freely and seek employment.
"The government also provides a monthly subsistence allowance to trafficked victims," he added.
Muhyiddin also noted that Malaysia has come a long way in combatting the crime of trafficking in persons.
"We have seen the reduction of human trafficking victims in Malaysia over the years.
"The Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Council (Mapo) recorded a total of 543 human trafficking victims placed at shelters in the first half of 2019, as compared to 1,474 victims throughout 2018 and 2,945 in 2017," he said.
Despite this improvement, the home minister noted, the government will continue to put more focus on enforcement, prosecution, prevention and protection.
He added that victim assistant specialists (VAS) have been appointed to work with law enforcement officers, prosecutors and other personnel in the criminal justice system to help victims of trafficking.
The international community continues to express concerns about the level of human trafficking in the country, however.
In June, the US State Department placed Malaysia back on Tier 2 of its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) watchlist.
The TIP report claimed that Malaysia did not fully meet the minimum standards required to eliminate human trafficking.
A 179-page United Nations report released last month stated that organised crime syndicates in human trafficking were flourishing in Southeast Asia, particular Malaysia.
The prevalence of trafficking for forced labour and sexual exploitation was attributed to the country's geographical location and relatively higher wages.
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