VZCZCXRO4766
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0212 0860926
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260926Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0750
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2437
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000212 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP AND G/TIP 
JUSTICE FOR ICITAP AND OPDAT 
JAKARTA FOR ICITAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KCRM MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN GOVT SHELTERS INITIAL 23 TIP VICTIMS 
 
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 200 - GTIP VISIT 
     ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 97 - MATTAR DISCUSSES NEW TIP LAW 
     ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 52 - SEEK U.S. SPEAKERS ON TIP 
     ¶D. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1731 - CATHOLIC CHURCH EFFORTS 
     ¶E. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1730 - TIP ACTION PLAN DELIVERED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Malaysia's Women's Ministry publicly announced that 
on March 25 it had admitted 17 female trafficking victims to 
one of its two recently established government shelters in 
Kuala Lumpur.  The women, all Thai nationals, had been 
rescued in a police raid in Johor Bahru on March 24, 
according to the Women's Ministry and our police contacts. 
The Ministry's March 25 press statement (which Post forwarded 
to EAP and G/TIP) noted the shelters featured accommodation, 
security, recreational facilities and counseling, and were 
operated in accordance with the UN anti-trafficking protocol. 
 The press release also stated that the women would be 
repatriated following investigations and legal formalities. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Malaysian government placed another six female 
TIP victims (2 Vietnamese, 4 PRC Chinese) into the Kuala 
Lumpur shelter on March 26.  According to a senior 
Immigration official, authorities rescued the girls during a 
March 25 raid. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In both the March 24 and March 25 raids that 
yielded suspected TIP victims, the authorities processed the 
women through the magistrate's court within 24 hours or less, 
a step spelled out under the anti-TIP law to legally identify 
TIP victims before their placement in a government shelter. 
Prior to this, Malaysian police rescued hundreds of foreign 
victims and often turned these over to respective foreign 
embassies for shelter and assistance, but authorities did so 
under other legal provisions. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  With authorities conducting initial raids 
and using the anti-TIP law to screen for trafficking victims, 
and government shelters now operational and housing 
victimized women, Malaysia has reached a major milestone in 
its commitment to combat trafficking.  Together with these 
developments, Malaysia has fulfilled the key elements of the 
2006/2007 and 2007/2008 U.S.-drafted action plans, to include 
the drafting and passage of a comprehensive TIP law with 
tough penalties for traffickers; establishment of the 
national council on anti-trafficking; initial training of 
officials; initial law enforcement actions under the new law; 
and the creation and opening of government shelters for 
victims.  We should continue to urge more and sustained GOM 
anti-trafficking actions, while also recognizing that 
Malaysia has taken significant steps that address specific 
U.S. recommendations and minimum standards under our own law. 
 Malaysia has come a long way over the past year. 
SHEAR