Rokiah Mahmud
A ‘whole-of-nation approach’ is important to ensure that the country is free of criminal human exploitation, said Permanent Secretary (Security, Enforcement and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Muhammad Sazali bin Pengiran Haji Yakob at the opening ceremony on Basic Course on Anti-Trafficking of Persons yesterday.
The Anti-Trafficking in Person s Order, 2019 defined trafficking in persons as a cross-border crime as it involves elements of human exploitation or slavery, where employers denied workers of fundamental rights, he said.
On this matter, the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam will always ensure the rights of foreign workers to be in line with the highest international standards and best practices, said the permanent secretary.
Pengiran Haji Muhammad Sazali said that the course on anti-human trafficking will contribute to efforts in countering human trafficking and exploitation activities, especially those targetting vulnerable groups, such as women and children. The programme also aimed to ensure frontline enforcement officers will have the knowledge in detecting and investigating cases involving human trafficking, while serving as a platform in sharing experiences and information in such cases.
The course was coordinated by Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF). Twenty nine officers from agencies under the Working Committee of Anti-Trafficking of Person including the Attorney’s General Chambers; the RBPF; the Immigration and National Registration (INRD), the Royal Customs and Excise Department and Labour Department participated.
Also present were Deputy Commissioner of Police Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Mohd Jefri bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Hamid; Acting Director of Criminal Investigation Department in his capacity as the Chairman of the Working Committee on Anti-Trafficking of Person; Acting Attorney General and head of departments from agencies under the Working Committee of Anti-Trafficking of Persons.
