MALAYSIA SET TO ANNOUNCE ANTI-TRAFFICKING PLAN

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000733 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP PGOV PHUM MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA SET TO ANNOUNCE ANTI-TRAFFICKING PLAN WITH LABOR COMPONENT ¶1. (SBU) On September 2, Prime Minister's Department Special Officer Mohammad Kamal Yan Yahaya told the Ambassador that the Government of Malaysia was planning to announce its anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) action plan within one week. Kamal recommended that the Ambassador follow up directly with the Secretary General at the Home Affairs Ministry, which has the lead on the GOM's Anti-TIP Council, for further details. ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador subsequently spoke with Home Affairs Secretary General Mahmud Adam, who confirmed that the action plan would be announced and published by September 11. He also confirmed that it would cover labor trafficking, as previewed with Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, during his August 27 meeting with Home Affairs. Adam reiterated to the Ambassador that the GOM is determined to address trafficking, seeing Malaysia both as a destination and transit country for traffickers and their victims. ¶3. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's request, Adam offered to provide an advance copy of the action plan to the Embassy on September 3, which we will pick up at OOB tomorrow. The Embassy will provide highlights of the plan by cable on September 3, scan and email relevant parts of the text to the Department (EAP/MTS and G/TIP) the same day, and will Fedex the text (expected to be over 100 pages) to EAP/MTS. KEITH