Kok ‘disturbed’ by Malaysia’s trafficking status, urges govt to abolish MOS

 

The government should abolish the Maid Online System (MOS) as a way to aid the country in making its way out of its status in the Tier 3 US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2022, said Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.

The 2022 report declared as it did last year that: “The government of Malaysia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so.”

This is the first time the country has failed to move up after falling into the lowest spot in the report last year.

In a statement today, the DAP lawmaker claimed that the MOS is one of the components that has contributed to Malaysia remaining at Tier 3 of the TIP report.

Banned process

Set up in 2018, the MOS, which is available on the Immigration Department website, is a direct recruitment process banned in Indonesia as it violated its domestic laws.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, said they were sceptical if workers who did not go through the new One Channel System (OCS) had employment contracts.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono

“The Indonesian ambassador had strongly protested over the Maid Online System in Malaysia.

“He opined that this system has undermined the welfare and rights of many Indonesian maids who work in Malaysia,” said Kok.

Besides that, she said the government must explain why Malaysia is still at Tier 3 in human trafficking, as this tarnishes Malaysia’s international image.

“This will have a material impact on our international trade, particularly trade with the United States and some western countries.

“These countries have expressed their strong sensitivities on workers’ and human rights,” she said.

Trafficking crimes

According to the report, the government continued to combine human trafficking and migrant smuggling crimes despite repeatedly being advised to increase efforts to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations.

Instead, anti-trafficking investigations have declined and “the government did not prosecute or convict government officials allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes”.

Kok said this comment, in particular, is disturbing to her.

“I am disturbed over the negative comments in the report that anti-trafficking investigations have declined and the government has failed to prosecute or convict government officials allegedly complicit in trafficking activities.

“On top of that, the government has failed to implement a common standard operating procedure to identify victims during enforcement raids or among vulnerable sections of the population with whom authorities came into contact,” she said.

She reiterated that it is high time the government explain to Malaysians and the international community why the country has failed to meet the minimum standards in human trafficking.

“What is the way forward in navigating Malaysia out of such an international disgrace?” she asked. - Mkini