MALAYSIA FORMALLY ENACTS A COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TIP

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 001236 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EAP, EAP/RSP, EAP/MTS, G AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KCRM MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA FORMALLY ENACTS A COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TIP LAW, SHELTERS IN PROGRESS REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 834 - MALAYSIA PASSES COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TIP LAW ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 1145 - SENIOR LEVEL ENGAGEMENT ON TIP ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Malaysia formally enacted its Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act after receiving royal assent on July 18 and publishing the new law in the Gazette of Malaysian Laws on July 26. With final enactment of the new law, Malaysia moved closer to opening its first two shelters for foreign trafficking victims. The two shelters, one for adult women and the other for children, are reaching completion and are expected to be opened in September, with bed space for approximately 24 adults and 24 children. Malaysia's NGO Tenaganita is excited about the new law and has scheduled training for 40 police officers from Northern Malaysia to educate them on enforcing the Act. We continue to meet with high level officials to encourage more progress in combating trafficking in persons (TIP). End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Malaysia's Yang di-Pertuan Agong ("the King") officially signed the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007, granting royal assent to Malaysia's new comprehensive anti-TIP legislation on July 18. The Government of Malaysia subsequently gazetted the law as Act 670 of the Laws of Malaysia on July 26. The law was enacted without changes to the original version passed through Parliament (ref A). With the final enactment of Malaysia's new anti-TIP law, Malaysia is preparing to open its first two shelters for foreign victims of trafficking. ¶3. (SBU) Poloff visited on August 2 the site of Malaysia's first two shelters for trafficking victims, both located in Kuala Lumpur. The shelters, one for children and one for adult women, are situated opposite one another on a quiet street. Renovations to the two former government residential quarters are progressing smartly, and each building is already fitted with new furniture, fixtures and tile. The women's shelter supervisor was present at the time of our visit and he commented that the facilities would be officially opened in September, though no exact date was given. The shelter consisted of three dormitory rooms each housing up to eight women, for a total occupancy of 24. The children's shelter supervisor was not present, but the official commented that the occupancy would be similar, although the children's shelter was slightly smaller in size. He could not comment on when the children's shelter would be opened, but both buildings seemed to be at about the same stages of renovation. ¶4. (U) Malaysia's premier migrant labor NGO, Tenaganita, has become even more involved since Malaysia's anti-TIP law surfaced and has now scheduled a training session on TIP and the new anti-TIP law for 40 police officers from the states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Perak. The training is to be held in Penang on August 15 and 16, and an attorney from Malaysia's Attorney General's office is scheduled to provide specific training on enforcement of the new anti-TIP law. ¶5. (SBU) DCM met with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Security, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, on July 23. The DCM encouraged Malaysia's efforts to combat trafficking, and discussed the new anti-TIP law and the formation of the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons, which the Secretary General will chair. The DCM is also scheduled to meet with Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, the head of the Attorney General's Office's Prosecution Division, on August 8. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: We continue to engage Malaysian officials at the highest levels to encourage substantive progress in combating trafficking in persons. Drafting of an anti-trafficking law was a very prominent goal in the Department's TIP action plan for Malaysia, and the final enactment of a comprehensive anti-TIP law is certainly a significant step forward. Furthermore, we remain encouraged that Malaysia is making verifiable progress in fulfilling their promise to open shelters for foreign trafficking victims. Our efforts will now focus more heavily on encouraging effective implementation of the law. LAFLEUR