PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has maintained its Tier 2 status in the US 2026 Trafficking In Persons Report.
The Home Ministry said that it welcomes the assessment, which was issued by the US State Department.
“This standing reflects continued international recognition of the country’s sustained and determined efforts to combat human trafficking crimes,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said that the report also highlighted the country’s key achievements, including the prosecutions of public officials suspected of involvement in human trafficking crimes, increased government financial allocations to support anti-human trafficking operations and the increase of specialised personnel including in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The 2026 US Department of State report also outlines eight recommendations for improvement that Malaysia can implement during the next assessment period, from April 1 2026 to March 31 2027.
“Key recommendations include improving mechanisms for the early identification of victims, strengthening the quality of case investigations, making the recruitment fee system more accountable and expanding strategic partnerships with non-governmental organisations.
“In this regard, the government has established several strategic measures, namely strengthening the integrity of public officials, establishing a victim management system in accordance with international standards, strengthening cooperation with civil society organisations and NGOs, and leveraging digital technology and artificial intelligence.”
The ministry said that the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Mapo) remains committed in conducting joint actions with the relevant authorities to curb emerging human trafficking trends such as job scams.
“The government is confident that this holistic approach will strengthen the effectiveness of the country’s efforts in curbing human trafficking, bringing guilty parties to justice, ensuring human rights and protecting victims. This will also ensure public safety and security.”
In the published report, it said that the Malaysian government demonstrated overall increased efforts compared with the previous reporting period.
It noted the increased trafficking investigations, prosecutions and convictions, as well as increased law enforcement in the palm oil and rubber glove manufacturing sectors.
However, it also noted that several other areas did not meet the minimum standards.
“The government identified fewer confirmed victims and inconsistent application of victim identification procedures resulted in the inappropriate penalisation of some victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action, and officials continued to conflate human trafficking with migrant smuggling, undermining victim identification efforts,” it said.
Last year, Malaysia reportedly maintained its Tier 2 ranking in the same report, having held that position in 2024.
