KUALA LUMPUR – Appointing protection officers from among members of the public is one of the amendments to be made to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Atipsom), said Welfare Department community service division director Ahmad Hashim Selamat.
Without divulging more details, he said the amendment should have been made last year, but was thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Efforts will likely pick up this year, he told Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme.
He said another amendment seeks to boost the role of the women, family and community development minister, and the operation of shelters for victims of human trafficking.
Currently, protection officers under Atipsom are appointed among government officials, he said.
On the 2020 US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report that placed Malaysia on the Tier 2 watch list, he said various measures are being undertaken to improve the country’s ranking, such as providing health screening and interpreter services to trafficking victims, and increasing collaboration with non-governmental organisations.
“Malaysia has been placed in Tier 2 for three years in a row, and we really hope this can be improved.” – Bernama, February 24, 2021
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