Rahmat Mohamad said although Malaysia’s upgraded status from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List signifies significant progress in addressing human trafficking issues, it is crucial that the country remains committed to eradicating the problem.

“Despite the progress made, there is still much work to be done to combat this grave violation of human rights,” he said in a statement.

“Suhakam urges the government to continue prioritising efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect victims, and ensure accountability for perpetrators.”

Rahmat also called for increased collaboration among the government, civil society organisations and stakeholders to realise the objectives of the National Action Plan on Anti-Trafficking in Persons 2021-2025 and the National Action Plan on Forced Labour 2021-2025.

He said such collaborations will strengthen Malaysia’s response to human trafficking and contribute to the elimination of the “deplorable” practice.

He also emphasised the need for full protection and assistance for trafficked and smuggled victims in accordance with the international standards set by the United Nations.

Malaysia was placed on the Tier 2 Watch List from 2018 to 2020. It dropped to Tier 3, the lowest tier, in 2021 and remained there last year.

The State Department places each country into one of three tiers based on the extent of government action to combat human trafficking and the size of the problem.

Countries on Tier 2 do not meet the minimum standards of the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

While they are making significant efforts to comply, they continue to have a significant number of purported trafficking victims or have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe trafficking.

Tier 3 countries are those whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.