YOURSAY | ‘Almost 300 deaths in internment and not one prosecution.’

Malaysia remains in Tier 3 in the US human trafficking report

PW Cheng: Malaysia will be languishing in Tier 3 of the US Trafficking in Persons report indefinitely.

Our leaders think the world is their oyster and Malaysia is the only country in it. They don't care a damn what other countries think of us. They just do what benefits them most even when the country is skidding dangerously off-course.

For the past two years, everything reported about Malaysia has been negative - from the never-ending 1MDB kleptocracy to the Sulu sultan's descendants' claim of RM64 billion and the confiscation of Malaysian assets overseas.

There was also the confiscation of Malaysian goods by US Customs and Borders Protection because of labour issues mainly connected to forced labour.

The country’s ranking dropped to 62 in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021.

With the perfect combination of corruption and human trafficking, we got ourselves entrenched in Tier 3 in the Trafficking in Persons report. And yet we are oblivious to all this.

They even got the cheek to tell Indonesia that the Maid Online System (MOS) issue is not part of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) that we signed with them.

In doing so, they had implied that Malaysia would condone human trafficking. It looks like MOS brings plenty of benefits to our authorities and they will defend it at all costs.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have boundless energy and take great efforts to crack down on the comedy club Crackhouse when, in fact, the police should go after the crackpot leaders who are leading the country.

Sealthedeal: It's the preservation of a corrupt system of reward via immigration agents and employers who bond migrant workers to high fees and debt, and then get the authorities to intern them and send them home with unpaid wages.

The Immigration Department still refuses to stop MOS despite the abuse, but this is the tip of the iceberg.

It will not allow independent inspection of those on internment because if those unfortunate individuals were interviewed, the evidence would be damning.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin cannot regulate malpractice in the department. The migrant labour industry is worth millions in fees and kickbacks.

The irony is that the losses of billions, especially in the palm oil and construction industries could have been avoided if these people were allowed to work with dignity. But no, corruption takes precedence.

What human misery has this corruption caused? Almost 300 deaths in internment and not one prosecution.

Malaysia deserves its place in the league of human trafficking countries. That’s because human trafficking is officially condoned.

NoobMaster69: Malaysia does enjoy being in first place for the wrong reasons. From corruption to human trafficking, we never seem to miss the boat as the worst citizens of the world.

The BN/Perikatan Nasional government don’t care as long as their pocket is filled and their cronies are rolling in cash.

Do the majority of Malaysians care? No, they too don’t because all they care about is how much ‘bantuan’ they can get and if there will be the next round of EPF withdrawals.

With their motto ‘Janji bukan DAP’, even if the whole country collapses, they will still be in the delusion that they are the greatest country in the world with the best government in the world.

Every day is ‘Jasa Umno’. Yes, Umno used to be great, but not anymore. We Malaysians have already paid our debt to Umno by making all of them millionaires.

Umno misused the money that was meant to build our roads and infrastructure. The real heroes are the Malaysian taxpayers, not Umno.

BobbyO: The nation's leaders are busy arresting comedians, while the reputation of the nation is in tatters.

It has been an eventful month. First, is the seizure of Petronas assets. The asset may not be worth billions, but losing such a battle in the international courts to a so-called rag-tag team of seafarers is bad enough.

Next, to be told by the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Hermano, that Malaysians do not honour their agreements is another blow to our reputation.

Now to be told that we have done nothing to improve our standing when it comes to the human or flesh trade is humiliation enough.

To be stuck in Tier 3 sends signals to the world to stop dealing with Malaysia, as it does not take serious steps to protect our workers.

OCT: If human trafficking is something that requires syariah compliance, the government will take note. Otherwise, the government doesn't give two hoots about it.

Human trafficking is part of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria for investors to judge where, what and when to invest.

Malaysian companies want more profit but they are doing it at the expense of the workers. At the government level, human trafficking is big business for the selected few. It is a money-making machine.

The government has no one to blame but themselves, as personal interest takes precedence over national interest, image and integrity. It's difficult to move up from Tier 3 with the present government as they are more interested in power and getting rich than good governance.

JusticeNow!: Indeed, the government has not lifted a finger to implement the recommendations made in the Trafficking in Persons report.

Imagine, the Thai authorities have prosecuted a general and a number of top officers involved in the Wang Kelian case, but Malaysia has not even published the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report on the matter, let alone prosecute anyone important.

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