PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry has launched the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Council Integrated Data System to enhance its anti-trafficking efforts.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the system is to streamline and provide a more comprehensive picture of human trafficking trends and tactics using the available data sets so that more effective countermeasures could be implemented.
"Raw data doesn't do much, but if we process that raw data and analyse it, we can come up with predictive models.
"And if, after we analyse the data, it indicates that there are issues or problems, we can detect them earlier," he said at the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants appreciation ceremony, here.
Saifuddin also said that the comprehensive data would help in the drafting of more effective policies.
"From that comprehensive picture, we can formulate a more complete policy."
He added that the integrated data system was created in-house with the help of the Home Ministry's information technology department.
Saifuddin also reiterated his call to improve Malaysia's ranking in the subsequent Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report issued every year by the United States' State Department.
"Three items have been identified by the Home Ministry to further improve Malaysia's ranking for the subsequent TIP Report.
"Among the areas being looked into are capacity building, inter-agency cooperation, and enhancing laws and regulations."
In June, Malaysia was upgraded to Tier 2 in the 2024 TIP Report.
Last year, Malaysia moved up from Tier 3, to the Tier 2 Watch List.
Between 2018 and 2020, Malaysia was also on the Tier 2 Watch List.