No elements of human trafficking involving boy found in container - Saifuddin Nasution

"He was the only one found in the container. A police report was lodged and as he was having a fever, he was taken for medical examination.

"The relevant authorities have investigated the case and their investigations found no elements of human trafficking.

"The boy was just believed to have entered the container, fell asleep and found himself here...the authorities are in the process of repatriating him through the legal channel. That's it," he told reporters after chairing the coordination committee meeting on congestion at the Johor Causeway at the Sultan Iskandar Building here today.

It was reported that the boy, known as Fahim, was found locked in a container for six days as it was ferried by a vessel from Chittagong, Bangladesh to the West Port.

In another development, Saifuddin Nasution said he was scheduled to meet with his counterparts in Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia at the end of this month to explain the Foreign Workers Employment Relaxation Plan implemented by the Ministry of Human Resources.

He said the plan involved five critical sectors and sub-sectors namely manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and services (restaurants only).

"The success of this policy shift depends on the source countries' cooperation and ability to supply workers in these critical sectors. The visit was for me to personally convey to my counterparts the policy change thus simplifying the process of employers getting the manpower to meet economic needs," he said.

Last Tuesday, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar was reported as saying that the government was implementing the plan to make it easier and faster to hire foreign workers in five critical sectors and sub-sectors.

Under the plan, employers will be allowed to hire foreign workers from 15 source countries without going through the preconditions of employment and quota eligibility.