No wonder Malaysia is ranked high for human trafficking

NBC recently aired a documentary about the forcing of Filipino girls into prostitution in Penang, and how an American went there to eventually secure their release. It is almost bizarre if you read the following report on the documentary, especially the seemingly close link between the "businessmen" and the police. Not surprising considering Raja Petra's expose of the IGP. Anyway, for those who have a short memory, Malaysia was recently blacklisted by the US for failure to take concrete measures against human trafficking. In fact, we're considered one of the major transit hubs for this disgusting trade. Reproducing the Malaysiakini report here as I think it's very important for readers to understand the severity of the problem. Also, please do subscribe to Malaysiakini, in part to get excellent news and articles, as well as considering it as playing your part in supporting press freedom in Malaysia.

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NBC’s grim tale of sexual slavery in Penang
Aug 10, 07 5:06pm
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/71038

Two months ago, Malaysia was blacklisted by the United States for the first time for its failure to take concrete action against human trafficking.

Malaysia joined other offenders - among them, Burma, North Korea and Sudan - in the US State Department's annual ‘Trafficking in Persons Report’.

In all, 16 countries were given the so-called ‘Tier 3' status in the 236-page survey of global efforts to combat human trafficking, which makes these errant nations eligible for US economic sanctions.

As if to underscore Malaysia’s abysmal record in human trafficking, top US television station NBC aired on Wednesday a gripping tale about an American who went to Penang to rescue his Filipino niece from the clutches of her captors.

The 30-minute ‘Dateline’ programme detailed the dark web of collusion between the Malaysian law enforcers - the police and immigration officers - and the human traffickers.

“The State Department says that human trafficking and the sex trade it fuels are rampant here. Yet in all of 2006, not a single trafficker was prosecuted,” said Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen.

They helped themselves to the girls

One victim, Anna, told Dateline that she went to Malaysian immigration authorities for help, a top official there advised her to “go back to work” and called her traffickers.

“I want them to help me - to rescue me - so I can go back Philippines,” she said.

According to Anna, some of the Malaysian police and immigration officials were clients of the clubs where she worked and helped themselves to the girls.

Dateline also revealed that Malaysian officials were notorious for turning a blind eye to trafficking.

“So much so that when victims like Anna show up looking for help, they are often brought up on immigration charges,” it said.

Anna, who sold her virginity for RM280 (US$80) on her first night in Malaysia, was eventually rescued by the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Dateline also told the grim tale of another Filipino girl, Lannie Ejercito, 22, (right) who was rescued by her American uncle, ‘Troop’ Edmonds.

Edmonds and his Filipino wife Ravina - Lannie’s aunt - were at home Oregon when they received a distressing phone call from Lannie to rescue her.

Edmonds, with the help of a retired Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) friend, Jerry Howe, with the Dateline crew in tow, flew first to Philippines and then to Penang in search of Lannie.

Hot on the traffickers’ trail

They discovered that Lannie and 15 other Filipinos were sent to Penang as singers. And when they can’t sing, they were forced into prostitution.

With the help of Malaysian police, which they said were not very helpful, they raided a flat near Universiti Sains Malaysia. But no one was there.
However, sensing that the two elderly 60-something Americans were hot on their trail, the traffickers decided to take Lannie to the police station to sign a statement saying that she was not being held against her will.

The two men rushed to the police station on hearing that Lannie was there.

“Lannie (photo, right) was brought to the police station by Kenny Kang (photo, left), one of the people who has been holding her captive,” said Dateline. “In fact, she's been saying all is well - she's fine.”

But the Americans were astonished to find the police interviewing Lannie with Kang sitting next to her.

Jerry Howe, who's conducted hundreds of interviews during his 26 years in the FBI, was shocked that the lead detective failed to separate the victim from the victimiser, said Dateline.

“And when I suggested that, it's like the light bulb went off in his head. ‘Oh, yeah, that's a good idea.’ And they'll move - they moved him away from her so she could speak. But she was still terrified,” said Howe.

Kang was finally sent to an adjoining room.

Hansen asked Howe whether it appeared to him that Kang had a “pre-existing relationship with some of the police officers” at the station.

Howe: Boy, did I ... I got that impression.

Hansen: And what gave you that impression?

Howe: Well, he's laughing. He's making phone calls. He's joking with the police officer that he's with. And we can see all this through the glass in the offices there.

With Kang in another room, Lannie eventually revealed that she wanted out.

Fear that everyone would end up in jail

However, Kang refused to hand over Lannie’s passport. An argument over the passport erupted at the police station.

Edmonds accused Kang of paying off the police, and at one point was worried that he and Howe would end up in jail.

“And just when it seemed things couldn't get any stranger, in walks a man who describes himself as Kenny Kang's business partner, a gynecologist named Ng Kok Kwang (left). The doctor says he has a side business supplying singers to work at various hotels and he insists he's not engaged in human trafficking,” said Dateline.

Ng demanded that Edmond reimburse him for the money he had spent transporting, housing and for the “singing lessons” which Lannie did take - altogether RM200,000.

“That translates to nearly US$60,000 - a sum so high it would take the average Filipino at least 20 years to pay it off,” said Dateline.

Eventually, Ng let Lannie go.

A few months later, Philippine officials staged a dramatic late-night operation and freed the 15 others (left) whom Ng and Kang kept locked up with Lannie.

For Malaysia to be removed from the US’ blacklist, the “government needs to demonstrate stronger political will to tackle Malaysia's significant forced labour and sex trafficking problems,” said the US State Department.

In April, in the bid to improve Malaysia’s record on human trafficking, the government approved a milestone anti-trafficking bill which introduces a 20-year jail sentence for offenders.

But it is not immediately clear whether this will help burnish the country’s image, especially with existing problems with enforcement, and corruption in the police force as well as immigration.

Full transcript and video of Dateline’s To the rescue (30 mins)