Know what’s worse than exploitation of workers? Buying and selling human beings like they were cattle.

Last year I wrote a post that referred to a Newsweek article that highlighted the dismal treatment of foreign workers in Malaysia. Alas, I don’t think the situation has improved very much in the past year.

Indeed, in the last month, there was a lot of discussion about Malaysia being a transit for human trafficking. Incidentally, there was an article in the News Straits Times on the subject today. That’s quite sad, don’t you think?

Well, according to an article in the Star online today, our bright and still-shining new Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, said a special committee may be set up to curb human trafficking, but the reports that Malaysia is used as a transitory point need to be confirmed first. Fair enough.

But he went on and said, “if this claim comes from certain countries, we will get in touch with them for an official confirmation because this involves the good name of our country.” I’m sorry, YB, that didn’t sound quite right. Yes, I agree that the “good name” of our country is important, but don’t you think that human lives are more important than that?

Whatever it is, I sure hope that this is not just lip service that will be swept under the carpet once the issue blows over. Ignore it and it will go away, right? Fortunately, or unfortunately, the truth is rather prevalent.