by Anna Wong
Introduction
Trafficking in women and children in Malaysia seldom receives much public attention compared to other Asian countries like the Philippines, Japan and Thailand. In fact, according to Malaysian authorities, the situation is not monitored as the problem of trafficking is almost negligible. While it is true that trafficking in women and children in Malaysia is rather inconspicuous and lack the variety and diversity compared to the Philippines, Japan and Thailand, it should be viewed as a serious social isue and not from the perspective of immorality. Hence, trafficking in women and children for prostitution is not only a women's issue - it is also a Human Rights issue.
"Sometimes the suffering has no voice, it is silent, it is a question of survival, and the poor have no choice..."
- In God's Image
I would like to share with you the voice of Miss Chow, 17, who was a sex slave for a year and forced to serve 15 men a day by her pimp boyfriend. The sordid life she led prompted her to attempt suicide. She related her experience to the head of the Malaysian Chinese Association so that other girls will not be similarly trapped.
I met a tall and good looking man at a disco in Kuala Lumpur early last year. He promised to marry me and took me to live with him. I worked for a while in a snooker club. Later, he told me some loan sharks were after him for $3,000 and that they would kill him if he did not pay up. Playing on my feelings, the man convinced me to become a prostitute to save his life. I agreed to help him because I thought it would only be for a short period. My ordeal was just beginning.
He forced me to work even after he had earned enough to pay the debt. He would drive me to appointments at various places in the city. Later, he took me to Ipoh and Johor Baru. He even bought two cars using my immoral earnings in vice dens in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Johor Baru.
I was beaten up if I did not bring in enough money and he used to kick me and he used a chair to hit me if I refused to entertain clients. I had to serve up to 15 clients a day from 3 pm to midnight in vice joints. Although my clients were charged $180 each, I was milked of my earning by my pimp boyfriend and vice operators and was given only $20 a day.
I was forced to have sex with clients immediately after an abortion. The brutal treatment I received took toll on my physical and mental health and this led me to attempt suicide. I managed to escape the clutches of my pimp boyfriend two months ago, but he continued to harass me. After I underwent my second abortion, a mummy or procuress of a club scolded my boyfriend for risking my life and insisted I rest for a few days. While in Jophor a few months ago, I drank rat poison and was hospitalised for a week. I decided to run away but he continued to harass me and my family...."
I would also like to share with you some cases reflected in the local newspapers, though they are not as personal as the cries of Miss Chow, Sandra or Connie.
It was reported on 21/1/90 that a syndicate with international links, was believed to have forced several Malaysian girls into prostitution after promising them attractive jobs in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.
Seven Malaysian women aged between 18 and 37 who were promised lucrative jobs in Australia, were found to have ended up in a brothel. They were taken to Australia via Singapore by a travel agent suspected to have connections with an international syndicate luring women into prostitution. The syndicate had apparently switched its operations to Australia following stringent checks in Japan where several Malaysian women were believed to have been stranded by the syndicate.
On children trafficking, it was reported by the Criminal Investigations Department Intelligence in 1986 that there are no missing Malaysian children traced in foreign countries. However, there are always numerous reports of missing children and the police are not discounting the possibility of missing children being abducted and "exported" to foreign countries for vice activities. Burmese children have been reported to be smuggled into Malaysia by syndicates to beg in the streets.
Paper presented at the Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFDD) Conference on Trafficking of Women and Children, 15-19 November 1990, Karachi, Pakistan.
The cries of Sandra and Connie, which reveal the harsh realities of prostitution often ignored, also need to be heard...
The voice of Connie:
"I am the eldest of a poor family of seven children. When I was 12, my mother fell ill and being the eldest, I left school to support my family. When I was 16, my mother passed away. With no one to turn to, I made friends with a male neighbor who subsequently lured me into the city and sold me to a pimp. Feeling betrayed and rejected, I turned to drugs, became addicted and later took to prostitution...."
The voice of Sandra:
"I come from a poor family and lived in a rural area. I never attended school. I had problems, especially relating to my stepfather. He used to beat me up when he is drunk. I felt no love and affection at home. At the age of 12,1 did odd Jobs to supplement my family income. I would be beaten up again and again by my stepfather each time I did not bring home enough money to buy his drinks. When I was 18,1 met a travel agent who offered me a job in Japan. But when I arrived there, the syndicate members forced me into prostitution..."