The Centre for Foundation Studies at UTAR Kampar Campus organised a talk titled the “Overview of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Situation in Malaysia” on 18 September 2024 via Zoom. The talk covered important aspects of TIP, including legal frameworks, organisational structures, referral systems, and Malaysia’s efforts to address the issue.

The invited speaker was Countering People Smuggling, RSO Bangkok Programme Manager Dr Ravi Mahalingam. According to Dr Ravi, TIP involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel individuals against their will. He outlined various forms of exploitation and emphasised the need for broad awareness of the issue.

He also explained how economies are classified in efforts to eliminate trafficking through tier rankings. He said, “Tier 1 countries are countries whose governments fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. Tier 2 are countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. Tier 3 are countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards and are not making significant effort to do so.”

In addition, the talk highlighted Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to improve its ranking by enhancing coordination among agencies, improving victim identification and protection, and refining prosecution processes. Participants learned that online job scams and deceptive recruitment practices were major trends in Malaysia.

Dr Ravi also mentioned that Malaysia outlined a fundamental guide, namely the National Action Plan on Trafficking in Person 2021-2025 (NAPTIP 3.0). The plan is structured around four pillars: prevention; prosecution and enforcement; protection; and partnership. “Preventive measures include developing awareness programmes, expanding employment injury scheme for foreign workers and domestic workers; and publishing Guidebook for Youth in Combatting Trafficking in Persons. Protection includes establishing a One Stop Centre (OSC) for victims, a Special Child Unit, and a Transit Place in Sarawak. Enforcement and prosecution include the amendment of the ATIPSOM Act, and Special Task Force to combat international illegal jobs syndicate involving Malaysian victims. Lastly, for partnership, we see the joint enforcement of engagement between the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and Royal Thai Police (RTP); benchmarking visit to the United States of America (USA); Smart partnership to establish and an interpreters’ mechanism; and even, joint working committee on forced labour with USCBP, USDOL, US Department of State.”

Dr Ravi emphasised the importance of cross-border collaboration and working with multiple stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to effectively address the issue. He stressed that this issue is a global challenge, and no country is completely free from it. Malaysia remains committed to fully implementing its action plan and exceeding minimum standards.

The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, providing further insights for the participants.