Santiago slams US for PR exercise on human trafficking
He says US Ambassador-at-large Susan Coppedge must press the Malaysian government for greater actual efforts in preventing trafficking and conducting impartial investigations to arrest culprits.
PETALING JAYA: The United States government was urged today not to use human trafficking in Malaysia as a public relations to appease its critics in the US Congress.
Charles Santiago, MP for Klang, said US Ambassador-at-large Susan Coppedge must press the Malaysian government for greater actual efforts in preventing trafficking and conducting impartial investigations to arrest culprits.
Santiago accused the US government of having raised Malaysia’s ranking on human trafficking, from the bottom Tier 3 to Tier 2, in order to obtain Malaysia’s agreement to the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement, a brainchild of US president Barack Obama.
He welcomed a visit by Coppedge to meet officials and social groups “but I certainly hope this is not a smoke screen to appease US Senators and Congress members, who have been critical of the upgrade”.
He noted the US government’s concern about the failure to prosecute anyone involved in the 139 graves and 28 human trafficking camps found at the Thai-Malaysia border last year but pointed out that “the damage was already done when the unjustified upgrade happened shortly after the discovery in order to pave the way for Malaysia to move forward with its Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations”.
Santiago said Coppedge should insist on action against violators of anti-trafficking laws, protection of victims, increased monitoring, a regional enforcement network to thwart trafficking, and measures to regulate the recruitment of migrant workers.
He pointed out that deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (who is also home minister) had even boasted of efforts to raise Malaysia to Tier 1. He accused the Malaysian government of only being concerned with rhetoric and picture perfect stories, while remaining nonchalant about human trafficking.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram