‘Right to return’: rescuing M’sian trafficking victims overseas a priority, says Saifuddin

SUNGAI PETANI – Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has assured that all Malaysians who are victims of human trafficking abroad have the “right to return”, and the government will always undertake every possible effort to rescue and bring them back.

He said the government will use diplomatic or agency-to-agency relations and sharing of intelligence information in the effort to locate and retrieve the victims.

"In the last four, five years, the number (of victims of human trafficking) has increased,” he said, pointing to the efforts put in by the Malaysian police in these cases.

“In terms of the police force itself, whatever rescue measures we undertake we have clear principles.

"First, the government will prioritise the right to return of Malaysians no matter what,” he said. “As long as we know they are outside (the country) and in trouble, the government will do whatever it takes to bring them back."

Saifuddin was speaking to reporters after officiating at a ceremony to present certificates to staff of the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) here today.

He stressed that the Malaysian authorities have taken every effort to rescue all victims of human trafficking syndicates who are found trapped abroad based on the principle of the right to return.

Based on this principle, the government works on various methods to save Malaysians who are in trouble abroad after receiving an official report about it.

Saifuddin was commenting on concerns expressed by the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) that nearly 2,000 Malaysians are believed to have been victims of human trafficking syndicates still trapped in neighbouring countries and unable to save themselves since last year.

Its secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said the MHO has received complaints from numerous families asking for help to bring home their family members. He said that over 1,200 may be doing forced labour in Myanmar.

Saifuddin called on NGOs who have information on victims from their families or via other channels to bring these to the authorities’ attention.

He said the government will conduct detection and rescue operations as soon as complaints are received. He added that it is important to report the figures accurately.

“Let the government act on the official figures,” he stressed, pointing out that only the government has the capability to launch rescue initiatives with the cooperation of the relevant country.

Saifuddin stressed that cooperation from family members is also very important because the authorities need various information for profiling purposes after the victim is rescued.

He also said that the operations have revealed that some victims are really naive and became trapped after believing claims made by the human trafficking syndicates that duped them.

"There are those who became aware of the scams at the onset and quit. Some others had nothing to do with such scams. They gambled and lost loans overseas, and could not return or report about having become victims," ​​he said. – The Vibes, November 5, 2023