Wanita Gerakan is gravely concerned for Malaysia’s image in upholding human rights and its aims at stopping human trafficking by the recent Australian High Court’s decision blocking the swap deal of 800 asylum seekers in Australia sent to Malaysia and 4,000 refugees in Malaysia sent to Australia.

Wanita Gerakan Secretary General, Jayanthi said, the court ruled that the 16 asylum seekers who were to be flown to Malaysia from Australia could not be sent to a country without adequate leqal safeguards as Malaysia has not signed the United Nations’ Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Wanita Gerakan believes that the sending and destination countries have the responsibility to promote the welfare of asylum seekers the same way as migrant workers and ensure the protection of their rights.

Jayanthi, who is also Gerakan Human Rights & Law Bureau Vice Chairman said that Wanita Gerakan has been monitoring the reports by the police, family members and organizations involved in the protection of migrant workers with the assistance of member parties of The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) on severe maltreatment of many migrant workers from Asia and from other parts of the world. These reveal a situation that deserves immediate attention of all concerned governments.

Wanita Gerakan together with CALD is alarmed by the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable, young and women workers from Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Burma and Indonesia who left their countries to seek job opportunities in other Asian countries and elsewhere.

Wanita Gerakan urges the Government to take heed of the importance of being signatory to the needful agreements and its protocol. It further urges the Government to institute and implement measures to guard Malaysia’s stand by taking immediate measures to revise mechanisms for proper and strict monitoring of asylum seekers and migrant workers in order to prevent violation and abuse.