Malaysia admits its officials’ involvement in trafficking

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said his government is not ruling out the possibility that its top-ranked officers are involved in the human trafficking and passport forgery syndicate.

"I have instructed the police (to carry out the investigations) after receiving public complaint and a media report on several officers being involved in passport forgery,” he told local reporters after opening the 7th National Civil Service Guidance Programme (Akrab) Convention in Putrajaya.

"Investigations have been carried out over the past two months and it was found that several officers had indeed committed the offence and tarnished the image of the ministry," the minister added.

Malaysia has been turned into a safe haven for the regional human traffickers in the last several years as the jobseekers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India are desperately trying to enter into the Southeast Asian country.

Many mass graves have been found in Malaysian island states last year and also this year. Law enforcers believed that those graves were of the migrant jobseekers.

Around 1,000 Bangladeshi trafficking victims were rescued from Malaysia last year. Majority of them have already returned home.

Zahid Hamidi, who is also Home Minister, said investigations into the syndicate's activities would continue to be carried out until it was totally quashed and that all of its members were brought to justice, reports Malaysian The Star Online.

According to local media report, two immigration officers were among 19 individuals arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the human trafficking syndicate using fake Malaysian passports.

"Those found guilty of the offence will not only face disciplinary action, but will also be charged in court. We will not compromise with anyone, especially those who tarnished the image of their agency, the ministry and the country for money," said Dr Ahmad Zahid.