“The [US State] Secretary [John Kerry] noted the steps Malaysia has taken to address its human trafficking but also urged the Government of Malaysia to continue taking steps to improve law enforcement and victim protection programs,” the official said following the meeting between Kerry and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur.
In the 2015 TIP report released in July, the State Department raised Malaysia from its previous ranking at Tier 3 — the lowest level of countries allegedly failing to combat human trafficking — to Tier 2.
Kerry and Razak spoke about the recent Malaysian migrant crisis, current tensions in the South China Sea, ongoing international efforts to counter violent extremism and ASEAN’s role in regional security.
The two leaders also discussed the progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and stressed the importance of its conclusion for prosperity in southeast Asia.
The annual TIP report sparked a lot of criticism for upgrading Malaysia and Cuba to Tier 2 status, despite widely cited evidence that human trafficking was continuing blatantly in both countries.
A Tier 2 status in the report means that a country is improving its efforts to try and end human trafficking within its borders, while Tier 3 means it is not making a serious effort to do so.
US Senator Bob Menendez said that the State Department betrayed the victims of human trafficking by whitewashing Malaysia and Cuba in the report despite their flagrant and documented abuses, and undermined the efforts of “leading human rights advocates, and Malaysian government officials.”
Menendez also pointed out that Malaysia is among 12 countries entering the final round of negotiations with the United States for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
Human Rights First said Washington had undermined the credibility of its proclaimed struggle against modern slavery by going soft on allies, stressing that Malaysia is the United States’ 20th largest trade partner and 17th largest supplier of imported goods.
US Senators Bill Cardin and Bob Corker wrote a letter to Kerry urging the department to explain its decision to upgrade Malaysia’s and Cuba’s standing.
