The US State Department released its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report earlier this month, and in it was a damning development: Malaysia was downgraded from Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 3. The downgrade essentially suggests that the country has failed to fulfil the minimum labour standards and is not putting significant effort to do so.
An important issue for sure, BFM invited Segi Enam principal Khor Yu Leng to discuss the matter: Moving Forward with Challenges in Migration Issues.
COVID-19 has complicated migration, with a pause being put on migrant labour flows, and concerns about how this could worsen the problem of human trafficking. First, we find out how the pandemic has affected migration trends in the region. Then, we discuss Malaysia's downgrade to Tier 3 in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report, and how this affects businesses. And finally, we hear what it’s like for migrants here in our country.
Image Source: John Salvino, Unsplash; produced by: Loo Juosie, Kelvin Yee, Azlyna Mohd Noor; presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharmilla Ganesan