Agency: IOM | Reference: CEI-001-2026 | Type: Request for EOI
CEI Reference number : CEI-003-2026Title : Application of Investigation & Intelligence-Led Enforcement Training for Sabah Labour InspectorsTimelinePosted (date) :2 September 2026Clarification Request Deadline :7 September 2026Application Deadline : Extended to 30September 2026 by 23:59 hrs GMT +8Notification of Results :23 September 2026Implementation Start Date : 1October 2026Implementation End Date :30 November 2026LocationsKota Kinabalu, Sabah, MalaysiaSector(s) and area(s) of specializationCounter-Trafficking and Labour Migration.Issuing Agency :International Organization for Migration (IOM)Project BackgroundThe Department of Labour Sabah (JTK Sabah) plays a pivotal enforcement role in regulating employment standards, safeguarding worker rights, and ensuring legal compliance across one of Malaysia’s most dynamic socioeconomic landscapes.
Operating across expansive geographic areas and characterized by remote agricultural plantations, logging operations, construction sites, and commercial services, JTK Sabah manages a high volume of local and non-resident workforces.
Inspecting these industries requires specialized enforcement strategies capable of addressing complex statutory violations, remote operational challenges, and vulnerable worker dynamics.Malaysia’s robust legal and policy frameworks, anchored by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007 (Act 670), the Sabah Labour Ordinance Cap. 67), the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593), the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981, and the other relevant laws, place JTK Sabah at the forefront of national counter-trafficking and anti-exploitation efforts.
Together with strategic national commitments including the National Action Plan on Anti-Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAPFL), the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR), and alignment with core international labor standards, these legal instruments empower inspectors to uphold worker rights across the state.
As frontline regulatory authorities, labour inspectors serve as the critical first line of defense in detecting trafficking, forced labour, and statutory non-compliance.
The operational reality of enforcing these overlapping statutory mandates across expansive and isolated districts highlights an opportunity to further strengthen proactive, intelligence-led enforcement capabilities.
Bridging district-level information gaps and standardizing investigative protocols are essential steps toward building high-quality investigation dossiers that withstand administrative inquiries in the Labour Court and criminal prosecutions.In line with the International Organization for Migration’s programme on SAFE SPACES: Supporting Anti-Trafficking Frameworks and Enhancing Victim Services, Protection, Awareness, Collaboration and Empowerment in Sabah and Sarawak, IOM seeks to collaborate with implementing partners to design, develop, and deliver a specialized, 3-round training program for the JTKSabah.Targeting 60 frontline labour inspectors, this initiative aims to strengthen operational enforcement by embedding structured intelligence analysis, trauma- informed interview protocols, and robust case identification techniques into routine workplace inspections.
The developed curriculum must bridge international best practices in victim protection with Malaysia’s operational and legal frameworks.The assigned consultant will be responsible for developing comprehensive training modules, facilitator guides, and practical tools focused on three core operational pillars:Intelligence-Led Inspection & Risk Mapping:Developing tools to train inspectors on gathering, analyzing, and sharing field data across districts, enabling the department to move from reactive complaints to proactive identification of high-risk sectors and systemic exploitation patterns.Structured & Trauma-Informed Interviewing:Formulating practical modules using structured interviewing techniques (including the National Decision Model and PEACE framework to conduct ethical, gender-sensitive, victim-centered interviews that secure reliable, court-admissible evidence).Case Identification & Evidential Case Building:Creating guidelines to assist inspectors in distinguishing between routine labour non-compliance, forced labour, and human trafficking, ensuring evidence is effectively compiled into robust investigation for Labour Court and criminal proceedings.Right- Based Victim Protection and Case Referrals:To equip inspectors beyond identifying offences/cases and towards safeguarding affected workers and facilitating referrals (for cases identified that is not applicable to their mandate).By equipping Sabah’s labour inspectors with standardized analytical frameworks, forensic interviewing skills, and trauma-informed debriefing protocols, this project aims to enhance case success rates, accelerate judicial outcomes, and ensure proactive protection for vulnerable l
DOCUMENTS AND LINKS:
• TERM OF REFERENCE, ANNEX A, B AND C.docx: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadDocument?noticeId=313270&documentId=2090933
• ANNEX F_DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY FOR IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS.docx: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadDocument?noticeId=313270&documentId=2090934
• Download all documents: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadAllDocuments?noticeId=313270
CONTACT:
• Email: nabdhamid@iom.int
