KLANG, July 14 — With an international trade deal on the line, the US would be seen as supportive of human trafficking activities globally if Malaysia gets a status upgrade in the superpower’s soon-to-come-out Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, DAP’s Charles Santiago said today.

The opposition MP who has been critical of the high-profile Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement urged the American president to prioritise human rights issue over trade.

He said it would be hypocritical for Obama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, if Malaysia was upgraded to Tier 2 in the annual TIP report, even with the poor human rights track record and the lack of action over trafficking issues including the discovery of death camps near the Thailand border.

“If the US government actually elevates Malaysia to Tier 2, it actually supports the trafficking.

“Can you imagine? People have died,” he told reporters at his service centre here.

Quoting unnamed sources, Reuters last week reported that the United States is upgrading Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking centers.

The report said the move could smooth the way for the ambitious US-led free-trade deal with the Southeast Asian nation and 11 other countries.

A provision in a related trade bill passed by Congress last month bars countries under Tier 3 including Malaysia which earned the worst US human trafficking ranking in the eyes of the US State Department, from fast-tracked trade deals.

The upgrade to so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” status removes a potential barrier to Obama’s signature global trade deal.

The US State Department last year downgraded Malaysia in its annual TIP report to Tier 3, alongside North Korea, Syria and Zimbabwe, citing “limited efforts to improve its flawed victim protection regime” and other problems.

Today, Santiago said he had sent a letter to the White House as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Parliamentarians for Human Rights chairman with US congressman Joseph Pitts, who is also the Tom Lantis Human Rights Commission co-chairman on July 10, urging Obama against upgrading Malaysia.

The annual human trafficking report is expected to be out later this week.

Santiago said the reason given by the US to upgrade Malaysia was the recent amendment to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007  that was passed in the last Parliament sitting, which conditionally allows trafficked persons to work lawfully, under supervision.

“If Malaysia is given Tier 2, then it will not solve the trafficking issue.

“If that happens, then it is actually clear cut opportunism, where business overrides human rights

“If that is the case that the TIP report should be thrown in the rubbish bin because it has no impact and no significance,” he said.