KUALA LUMPUR: The elevation of Malaysia to Tier 2 Watch List of the United States (US) Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2023 will pave the way for the local industries to have better access to international markets, says the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).
The US State Department’s annual TIP report released last week saw Malaysia rose to Tier 2 Watch List from Tier 3 previously.
In a statement today, FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said Malaysian exporters’ reputation has been marred by the previous Tier 3 ranking on the TIP report even though the forced labour issue is not a widespread issue amongst all industries and companies in the country.
“The elevation in the ranking and continuous efforts to further improve Malaysia’s ranking in the TIP will most certainly place Malaysia in a better position now to pursue free trade agreement with the US and other major trading partners, where strict labour provisions are an integral part of the free trade agreement,” he added.-Bernama
