Get cracking on bringing trafficked victims back home, govt urged

PETALING JAYA: The rescue of hundreds of human trafficking victims in Cambodia and another six in Laos comes as good news for many in Malaysia.

However, they want more done to stamp out the menace once and for all, including in Myanmar, especially near its border with Thailand.

Malaysian Community Crime Concern Organisation president Tan Sri Musa Hassan said he hoped Malaysia would continue working closely with Cambodia to bring back all Malaysian victims there.

He called on the authorities to seek more information from these victims to pinpoint the locations of other Malaysians there.

“Cambodia has been helping us save our people and I hope we will continue working together until all Malaysians are sent back home.

“If possible, the police should try to find out if locals are involved, and if there are, clamp down on them,” he said.

Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim was delighted with the news from Cambodia and said he had received information that six victims had also been saved in Laos.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t hear of similar developments in Myanmar,” he said.

He hopes more action is taken to save Malaysian victims stranded in Laos and Myanmar.

“There is positive progress in Cambodia with the government establishing a task force to save human trafficking victims,” he said.

He said it was believed there were about 700 Malaysians currently stranded in Myanmar.

Since government-to-government rescues were not viable as the Myanmar junta is not recognised, he hoped the government could explore other avenues.

“Malaysia should give a clear message. Use Asean or Asean Plus Three to demand that action be taken against these human traffickers,” he said.

Echoing Hishammudin’s sentiment, MCA public services and complaints department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he was sad over those trapped in Myanmar. “The victims in Cambodia have a greater chance of being rescued than those in Myanmar,” he said.

However, he said there were those who refused to be rescued.

“We’ve been told some victims refused to come back because they owe ah long money and need to earn more money before they can come back,” he said.