Let the world work together to bring a determined end to this tragic phenomenon so that no one will ever get victimized again anywhere in this world.

Incidents of modern slavery have been reported in the media in recent years. While some of the victims have been rescued by the authorities, new batches of human trafficking victims have fallen into the traps set up by criminal syndicates.

While Malaysians have been concerned about the phenomenon of “modern slavery,” they have little knowledge about the bigger issue of “human trafficking” elsewhere in the world.

We are concerned that many fellow Malaysians have been duped to work in Myanmar and Cambodia, few would have imagined that there are actually plenty of foreigners “smuggled” into this country.

Some of them have been forced to work, marry or become sex workers here, but unfortunately their plight has largely escaped the attention of average Malaysians.

Whether we are aware of or concerned about this issue, the fact is that these human smuggling victims are very much existent in our midst, and Malaysia has been touted as one of the major sources, transit points and destinations of human smuggling in this world.

Talking about human smuggling, we will need to make mention of the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report, of which our country has never performed well in years.

In 2021 and 2022, Malaysia was even put in the lowest Tier 3, which is definitely damaging to the country’s international reputation and image.

Fortunately, in the latest 2023 report, we were put back in “Tier 2 Watch List.”

We have been given a “promotion” because of the government’s efforts and achievements in battling the problem of human trafficking. Among our achievements include initiating more human trafficking investigations; prosecution and conviction of the perpetrators as well as government collaborators; and identifying more victims of human trafficking.

According to the report, even though the Malaysian government has yet to reach the minimal criteria for the abolition of human trafficking, it has put in significant effort towards this end.

Malaysia’s “upgrading” in the Trafficking in Persons Report shows that the government’s effort in stemming human trafficking activities has indeed been recognized.

Even as remarkable progress has been made, we still have ample room for further improvement.

While we can take pride in making some progress in the on-going crusade against human trafficking, the journey ahead is still long and winding, and we still need to put in more effort.

The 2023 report has also proposed some recommendations, including, among others, making public the results of investigations involving corrupt officials and holding officials criminally accountable; expanding efforts to inform migrant workers of their rights under Malaysia’s labor laws; and expanding labor protections for domestic workers.

The government must view the recommendations seriously and take the necessary step to improve the situation, not just to preserve the country’s international image but also discharge our humanitarian duties. We must not allow “modern slavery” to thrive in this country!

The government has already released an unambiguous message of zero tolerance towards human smuggling activities. Unfortunately, there have always been a handful of black sheep in government institutions that are ready to collude with the syndicates for their own benefits.

Although some of these corrupt officials have been brought to book, the root problem is still very much evident today and the authorities will need to work much harder to weed out such toxic elements in government.

In the meantime, training should also be provided to the enforcement personnel to better equip them to extend assistance to human trafficking victims.

Besides the enforcers, members of the public must also be adequately informed of this issue, as part of the country’s effort to thwart human smuggling activities.

To most people, perhaps the numbers in the Trafficking in Persons Report are just a set of Arabic numerals that most ordinary people cannot relate with. But to the victims, those are verily the reflection of their doomed destinies.

In the highly civilized 21st century when human right is upheld, no one should ever allow “modern slavery” to happen on our planet.

Let the world work together to bring a determined end to this tragic phenomenon so that no one will ever get victimized again anywhere in this world.