PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry is drafting the National Action Plan on Anti-Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) 2026-2030 as a continuation of the success achieved under NAPTIP 3.0, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Dubbed NAPTIP 4.0, he said the new plan will focus on several key areas, including strengthening victim identification in high-risk sectors, enhancing investigative and prosecutorial capabilities -including action against errant civil servants - and improving access to interpreters and case management coordination.
“It will also empower the role of Victim Assistance Specialists in Sabah and Sarawak, promote data integration, enforcement digitalisation and standardise victim protection nationwide,” Saifuddin said in his speech when launching the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2025 (WDAT 2025) here on Monday (Nov 10).
He added that cross-agency and intergovernmental cooperation, including with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), would be reinforced to build a more agile and effective national response ecosystem.
"Malaysia remains committed through the ongoing implementation of NAPTIP 3.0, which centres on four key pillars - enforcement and prosecution, protection, prevention and strategic collaboration.
“The implementation of this plan has yielded positive results, as Malaysia retained its Tier 2 ranking in the United States Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report announced on Sept 30 in Washington DC,” he said.
Saifuddin said the recognition reflects international confidence in Malaysia’s sustained efforts to strengthen regulatory mechanisms, dismantle syndicates, improve transparency and accountability, and enhance victim-centred recovery.
He said the government remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance stance towards human trafficking, describing it as “a heinous crime that strips individuals of their dignity and freedom.”
Saifuddin said the WDAT 2025 celebration, organised by the Home Ministry through the National Strategic Office and the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (NSO MAPO), serves as a reminder of Malaysia’s global solidarity against such crimes.
The United Nations (UN) has designated July 30 each year as WDAT under the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, calling for collective action and cross-border cooperation to combat increasingly complex trafficking crimes and ensure every victim’s right to protection, justice and recovery.
