Has there been an improvement with regard to 'worker exploitation' in Malaysia? I doubt it, but at the same time the United States wants Malaysia to sign the TPPA and as such they may have decided to upgrade Malaysia from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
See the earlier post, and the reasons why Malaysia was downgraded to Tier 3 - Malaysia downgraded to Tier 3 - Trafficking in Persons Report 2014 - contractor for labour system, etc.. blamed?
Why? Because there is now a law that prevents the US from entering into trade deals with countries that earn the
worst US human-trafficking ranking in the eyes of the US State
Department, and Malaysia was one such country.
Hence, one can say that this US human-trafficking ranking is really a farce - a tool that is used to exert pressure on smaller countries like Malaysia. Lost is the credibility of this 'ranking', which apparently can be changed as and when the US government pleases, for the interest of the US. One wonders whether this was one of the 'deals' struck between Malaysia's Prime Minister, Najib, and Obama during their golfing session which saw the PM missing from Malaysia during one of the worst floods that Malaysia faced in late December onwards.
Remember the trafficking report was primarily about the state of exploitation of workers in Malaysia - and, it is laughable to state that there has been any improvement since last year. In fact, one may say that the situation has really become worse... but apparently the US State Department is more interested in other matters - including may possibly to get Malaysia to sign the TPPA - the agreement that will facilitate even greater suffering of the people, and exploitation of workers in Malaysia. After Malaysia signs the TPPA, with the ISDS clause - minimum wages may no longer increase. Already, our law may be broken when Malaysia failed to come out with a new Minimum Wage rate on 1/1/2015 (2 years after workers started enjoying Minimum Wage at RM900 in 1/1/2013). Was this also done because Obama asked Najib to do so?
TPPA - ISDS Clauses - States never win,Only investors win awards ofdamages?
PM Najib lied about minimum wage? Honesty is always needed from Government
MTUC disappointed that after 2 years and 4 months, workers Minimum Wage rates still not increased
Friday July 10, 2015 MYT 7:58:29 AM
Country improves on US human-trafficking ranking, say sources
Jungle
hideout: An armed policeman standing guard at an abandoned
human-trafficking camp in Wang Kelian, Perlis, in this file picture. —
EPA
WASHINGTON: The United States is
upgrading Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst
human-trafficking centres, US sources said.
The move could smooth the way for an ambitious US-led free-trade deal with the South-East Asian nation and 11 other countries.
The
upgrade to so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” status removes a potential
barrier to President Barack Obama’s signature global trade deal.
A
provision in a related trade Bill passed by Congress last month barred
from fast-tracked trade deals with Malaysia and other countries that earn the
worst US human-trafficking ranking in the eyes of the US State
Department.
The upgrade follows international scrutiny over Malaysian
efforts to combat human trafficking after the discovery this year of
scores of graves in people-smuggling camps near its northern border with
Thailand.
The State Department last year downgraded Malaysia in
its annual “Trafficking in Persons” report to Tier 3, alongside North
Korea, Syria and Zimbabwe, citing “limited efforts to improve its flawed
victim protection regime” and other problems.
But a congressional
source with knowledge of the decision said the administration had
approved the upgraded status. A second source familiar with the matter
confirmed the decision.
Some US lawmakers and human rights
advocates had expected Malaysia to remain on Tier 3 this year given its
slow pace of convictions in human-trafficking cases.
This year’s
full State Department report, including details on each country’s
efforts to combat human trafficking, is expected to be released next
week.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the report was
still being finalised and that “it would be premature to speculate on
any particular outcome”.
Obama visited Malaysia in April last year to cement economic and security ties.
Malaysia is the current chair of the 10-nation Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean).
It
is seeking to promote unity within the bloc in the face of China’s
increasingly assertive pursuits of territorial claims in the South China
Sea, an object of US criticism.
In May, just as Obama’s drive to
win “fast-track” trade negotiating authority for his trade deal entered
its most sensitive stage in the US Congress, Malaysian police announced
the discovery of 139 graves in jungle camps used by suspected smugglers
and traffickers of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.
Malaysia hopes
to be a signatory to Obama’s legacy-defining Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP), which would link a dozen countries, cover 40% of the world
economy and form a central element of his strategic shift towards Asia.
On June 29, Obama signed into law legislation, giving him “fast-track” power to push ahead on the deal. — Reuters - Star, 10/7/2015
Outcry as Malaysia's human trafficking record brings praise from US
Country could now sign up to Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal,
but advocates say Malaysia continues to face human trafficking issues
The United States is upgrading Malaysia
from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking centres, US
sources said on Wednesday, a move that could smooth the way for an
ambitious US-led free-trade deal with the south-east Asian nation and 11
other countries.
The upgrade to so-called “tier two watch list” status removes a
potential barrier to President Barack Obama’s signature global trade
deal.
A provision in a related trade bill passed by Congress last month
barred from fast-tracked trade deals Malaysia and other countries that
earn the worst US human trafficking ranking in the eyes of the US State
Department.
The upgrade follows international scrutiny and outcry over Malaysian
efforts to combat human trafficking after the discovery this year of
scores of graves in people-smuggling camps near its northern border with
Thailand.
The State Department last year downgraded Malaysia in its annual
“Trafficking in Persons” report to tier three, alongside North Korea,
Syria and Zimbabwe, citing “limited efforts to improve its flawed victim
protection regime” and other problems.
But a congressional source with knowledge of the decision told
Reuters the administration had approved the upgraded status. A second
source familiar with the matter confirmed the decision.
Some US lawmakers and human-rights advocates had expected Malaysia
to remain on tier three this year given its slow pace of convictions in
human-trafficking cases and pervasive trafficking in industries such as
electronics and palm oil.
This year’s full State Department report, including details on each
country’s efforts to combat human trafficking, is expected to be
released next week.
The State Department and the White House both declined to comment.
Obama visited Malaysia in April 2014 to cement economic and security
ties. Malaysia is the chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean). It is seeking to promote unity within the bloc in
the face of China’s increasingly assertive pursuits of territorial
claims in the South China Sea, an object of US criticism.
In May, just as Obama’s drive to win “fast-track” trade negotiating
authority for his trade deal entered its most sensitive stage in the US
Congress, Malaysian police announced the discovery of 139 graves in
jungle camps used by suspected smugglers and traffickers of Rohingya Muslims from Burma.
Malaysia hopes to be a signatory to Obama’s legacy-defining
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would link a dozen countries,
cover 40% of the world economy and form a central element of his
strategic shift towards Asia.
On 29 June, Obama signed into law legislation giving him power to push ahead on the deal.
Lawmakers are working on a compromise that would let Malaysia and
other countries appearing on a US blacklist for human trafficking
participate in fast-tracked trade deals if the administration verified
that they have taken concrete steps to address the most important issues
identified in the annual trafficking report.
The graves were found in an area long known for the smuggling of
Rohingya and local villagers reported seeing Rohingya in the area, but
Malaysia’s deputy home minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, has said it
was unclear whether those killed were illegal migrants. The discovery
took place after the March cut-off for the US report.
The State Department would have needed to show that Malaysia had
neither fully complied with minimum anti-trafficking standards nor made
significant efforts to do so to justify keeping Malaysia on Tier 3,
which can lead to penalties such as the withholding of some assistance.
In its report last year, the State Department said Malaysia had
reported 89 human-trafficking investigations in the 12 months to March
2014, down from 190 the previous year, and nine convictions compared to
21 the previous year.
In the latest year to March, Malaysia’s conviction rate is believed
to have fallen further, according to human-rights advocates, despite a
rise in the number of investigations. That reinforced speculation
Malaysia would remain on tier three.
“I would be stunned if they are upgraded. They have done very little
to improve the protection from abuse that migrant workers face,” said
Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division.
“This would seem to be some sort of political reward from the United
States and I would urge the US Congress to look long and hard at who
was making the decisions on such an upgrade.”
Malaysia has an estimated 2 million illegal migrant labourers, many
of whom work in conditions of forced labor under employers and
recruitment companies in sectors ranging from electronics to palm oil to
domestic service.
Last year’s report said many migrant workers are exploited and
subjected to practices associated with forced labour. Many foreign women
recruited for ostensibly legal work in Malaysian restaurants, hotels,
and beauty salons are subsequently coerced into prostitution, the report
said.
An administration official told Reuters in June that the White House
had been working closely with the Malaysian government and stakeholders
to fight the problem.
Among the 12 TPP countries, Brunei has also come under attack by
human rights groups for adopting Islamic criminal law, which includes
punishing offences such as sodomy and adultery with death, including by
stoning. Vietnam’s communist government has been criticized for jailing
dissidents.- The Guardian, 9/7/2015
Human-rights
groups, labor and other opponents of President Obama’s proposed
free-trade deal in Asia blasted Thursday the administration’s expected
move to upgrade Malaysia’s human-trafficking status as a sweetener to complete the trade pact.
“We are outraged by this clearly political decision,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who said the move “signals that the U.S. is willing to turn a blind eye to modern slavery and grave human and labor rights abuses in order to advance its trade agenda.”
The State Department is expected to upgrade Malaysia to Tier 2, from the lowest level in its Trafficking in Persons report, that is to be released next week.
Malaysia is among the 11 Pacific rim partners to Mr. Obama’s proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free-trade agreement that is the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda and his foreign-policy “pivot” to Asia.
Late last month, Congress granted Mr. Obama “fast-track” authority to negotiate trade agreements more easily. The TPP could be completed later this month.
Sen. Bob Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, is among lawmakers expressing concern about the anticipated move with Malaysia.
Mr. Trumka said Malaysia’s record on human rights has not improved.
“Forced labor, human trafficking, and exploitation remain pervasive,” he said. “If Malaysia is rewarded with greater market access under the Trans-Pacific Partnership without having to first undertake fundamental reforms, there will be little incentive for Malaysia to end this brutality.”
He added, “Unfortunately, the administration appears to be resolute in forging a flawed trade agreement with countries that currently violate fundamental labor and human rights while continuing a global race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.” - Washington Times, 9/7/2015
“We are outraged by this clearly political decision,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who said the move “signals that the U.S. is willing to turn a blind eye to modern slavery and grave human and labor rights abuses in order to advance its trade agenda.”
The State Department is expected to upgrade Malaysia to Tier 2, from the lowest level in its Trafficking in Persons report, that is to be released next week.
Malaysia is among the 11 Pacific rim partners to Mr. Obama’s proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free-trade agreement that is the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda and his foreign-policy “pivot” to Asia.
Late last month, Congress granted Mr. Obama “fast-track” authority to negotiate trade agreements more easily. The TPP could be completed later this month.
Sen. Bob Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, is among lawmakers expressing concern about the anticipated move with Malaysia.
Mr. Trumka said Malaysia’s record on human rights has not improved.
“Forced labor, human trafficking, and exploitation remain pervasive,” he said. “If Malaysia is rewarded with greater market access under the Trans-Pacific Partnership without having to first undertake fundamental reforms, there will be little incentive for Malaysia to end this brutality.”
He added, “Unfortunately, the administration appears to be resolute in forging a flawed trade agreement with countries that currently violate fundamental labor and human rights while continuing a global race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.” - Washington Times, 9/7/2015
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