Yes, we've a human trafficking problem
Joseph Tawie | Jun 28, 09 6:13pm
Sarawak immigration director Robert Lian has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking activities in the state and that his department is relying on the police to take action against the traffickers.
MCPX
“There are many cases of foreign nationals being forced to work on fishing vessels especially in Tanjung Manis. The foreigners are mostly from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia.

“The situation could be due to human trafficking activities and the department is leaving them to the police, who have the capability and capacity to investigate,” he said when asked by journalists on allegations that Malaysia is a source and transit point for such activities.

Early this month, the US State Department blacklisted Malaysia, putting the country in same category as 16 others including Zimbabwe, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Malaysia is one of the five Asian nations on the list – the others are Burma, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and North Korea.

The ‘Trafficking in Persons Report 2009’ cited Malaysia as “a destination and to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, and for men, women, and children trafficked for the purpose of forced labour.”

Dead bodies washed ashore

Lian said that the police had recorded three cases of human trafficking in Sarawak and these indicated that such activities exist in the state.

“And there were reported cases of dead bodies being washed ashore in Tanjung Manis, which the department believes were that of those who had wanted to escape from their employers,” he said.

The state immigration chief was however quick to add that his department would arrest any foreign nationals found working in Sarawak without permit or legitimate travel documents.

Lian said that the Immigration Department was still working on the standard operation procedure on enforcing the Anti-Human Trafficking Act which was legislated in 2007.

All this while, he explained, the department had relied on the Immigration Act to nab illegal immigrants.


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