Miti mum on Trans-Pacific deal, Malay panel walks out

Malaysiakini Fri, Jun 14, 2013 The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) walked out of a consultation meeting with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) yesterday after Miti refused to provide information on its talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). "It was supposed to be a two-hour meeting but it stopped after 90 minutes. They started the meeting but we ended it. "It was a 'diplomatic walkout'," MTEM chief executive officer Mohd Nizam Mahshar told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning. MTEM has expressed concern that the TPPA, a free trade agreement that includes, among others, Australia, Canada and the United States, would threaten local small- to medium-scale enterprises and expose Malaysia to lopsided trade conditions. Nizam lamented that despite Miti insisting that it has consulted stakeholders in the negotiations, there could be no meaningful consultation if the government refused to divulge any information, as an endorsement would ultimately impact Malaysian consumers and businesses. "Miti insists that it has consulted the industry, but what do you mean by consultation?... If the text (of the deal) is not revealed, then consultation cannot be done... "Even if they cannot provide the text, they should at least give us the substance of what is being negotiated," he said. Nizam claimed the US advises those in its multi-national corporations and other relevant US representatives on the TPPA, but Malaysian stakeholders are kept in the dark by its own government. He further noted that during the meeting, Miti officers blamed "NGOs" for misleading the media and opposition on the trade agreement, but it did not specifically mention MTEM. 'Shooting in the dark' "It is not about misleading, but our arguments are based on previous free trade agreements and the leaked documents available online, and these have been verified.

"It is not out fault that we are still shooting in the dark because they refuse to reveal any substance of the negotiations," he said. Providing an example, Nizam said the US viewed the need to provide training and technology transfer in defence sales as a trade barrier that could possibly be removed in the free trade agreement. However, such training is important for developing countries like Malaysia. He also pointed out the lengthening of intellectual property rights under such agreements mean that generic medicine could not be sold, thus increasing the cost of medication. "This is not an issue about Malay businesses, it is a national issue," he said, adding that MTEM had also roped in medical and environmental groups in lobbying for transparency in the ongoing negotiations and is working to form a broader coalition. Nizam ( right ) said the next round of negotiations on the TPPA, the 18th round, will start on July 15 and will be held in Malaysia. MTEM would consider its options on the matter if its consultation with Miti continues to be futile. "We have heard they do not want to do it in Kuala Lumpur, they want to hold the meetings at somewhere secluded, like Sabah or Sarawak. If there is nothing wrong, why run away?" he asked. Nizam reminded the government to heed the rakyat's calls for transparency and accountability in the last general election on the TPPA. "Miti has failed to understand the concept of transparency and accountability, which are highly demanded by the people and reflected in the last general election results. "If there is no common ground (with Miti on divulging the TPPA negotiations), we will stick to our opposition - that Malaysia should withdraw from the TPPA as it will not benefit our country," Nizam said. MTEM had presented a 16-point demand to Miti which, among others, included a thorough economic and social impact study of the TPPA, a guarantee that the cost of living would not spike as a result of the agreement and that international trade laws would not supersede Malaysian laws. 'Debate TPPA in Parliament' Meanwhile, Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) called for the TPPA to be debated in the coming session of the new Parliament scheduled for June 24.

"As Malaysia's involvement in the TPPA is done without public knowledge, Parliament is the right platform to debate the pros and cons of being under the American economic hegemony," Mapim president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said. Azmi in a statement today called on all the MPs to ensure that the matter is thoroughly debated and not simply decided by the government. YOURSAY 'MTEM is absolutely right when it demands that the government should be more transparent. Why is Miti so secretive?' Miti mum on Trans-Pacific deal, Malay panel walks out Tell the Truth: Well done, Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM). You are truly looking after the interests of all Malaysians. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) is seeking to hide the truth about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Why all the secrecy? The rakyat will definitely suffer if Malaysia signs this agreement. If it is so good, why is the ministry keeping mum on the pact? Let's go to the streets to demand an explanation. The poor will be deprived of cheaper medication and whatever else the West is going to impose on us. Ferdtan: MTEM chief executive officer Mohd Nizam Mahshar, you have raised some relevant points here. However, you are not the only stakeholder here - all of us are. If the terms of TPPA are bad, all the Malaysians will suffer the consequences. We expect all MPs, including from the opposition, to deliberate this transparently. It is our lives and welfare that the government is negotiating with the superpowers. TehTarik: MTEM is absolutely right when it demands that the government should be more transparent. Why is Miti so secretive, when TPPA is going to affect many facets of our socio-economic life? And to further worsen the matter, Miti wants to have the next meeting in East Malaysia. Whatever happened to Prime Minister Najib Razak's call for a more open and transparent government? Rosogolla: I fully support what Mohd Nizam has stated. His suspicions and fears are justified. The United States is a bankrupt nation which is good at printing fiat money. China is their largest creditor and hence they are openly selling their technology to pay for their debt.

MockingYou: US sells outdated technologies anyway, and suckers buy them at a premium. Anyone remembers which prime minister bought the lousy Skyhawk jetfighters for Malaysia? Ourvotesdecide: That's how the BN government operates: maximum secrecy on matters involving the interest of the rakyat. BN's motive is to keep the rakyat in the dark, so that the BN can carry on cheating. Nicholas Lim: The non-transparency of the TPPA negotiations is also the fault of the American government. Blame them too, don't just conveniently slam the Malaysian government only. All TPPA discussions with the 12 countries are being done in secret, even the American public do not fully know what they entail. Antibody: BN accuses Pakatan Rakyat of being influenced by the West, especially the US. Doesn't BN realise that they are also hoodwinked by the West, especially the US? The BN of today is no different from that of yesterday - always secretive, non-transparent and have the "we know best" attitude. The elite in the BN still assume that the silent majority are stupid and can be led by the nose. How mistaken they are. We must support Nizam and his team. Kazakh: There is no transparency in our Umno-BN government. Why? Because they want to pick the choicest goodies for themselves. Malaysia belongs to Umno-BN, not Malaysians. After the GE, they are the masters for another five years and we are the idiots. Ynwa: Globalisation is about meritocracy and not piracy or favouring one group. If other nations including Turkey, Taiwan and South Korea can compete and are working harder than us, can't we do the same? Wake up, BN. You have made the rakyat lazy and now you cannot face the realities of the international community that Malaysia's business model is a fake, a failed model that's not acceptable in any nation except in corrupt Bolehland. US is asking to get rid of corruption, cronyism for our own long-term good. Sustainability means to teach the people to fish and not just wait for handouts. Two Eye Ball: This is one janji di tepati' of the minority BN government - that is, to fool the rakyat. We cannot do anything because all the institutions are controlled by them. We are all doomed. What I can foresee what would happen is that when the rakyat will have to fork out

RM20,000 to buy a plate of char kuey teow' in future, and perhaps then the angry rakyat would really take to the street. Temenggong: We have come to the end of the road. Malays have a simple choice - live under Chinese economic dominance or American/international dominance. Nearly 80 percent of listed companies will close or change hands and become a subsidiary of multinationals. This is your checkmate - for both Malays and Chinese. The Americans are saying they also want to plant rice, bring in large fishing trawlers, make a bid for listed companies in the same way we bid for Guthries, buy land without any Malay land reservation in the same way Malaysian citizens buy land and companies in the US - in other words, no trade barriers, which all third world citizens so cleverly put up, thinking it will last for eternity. Eternity comes to an end this year.

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