KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24- The goverment will not compromise on the interests of Bumiputeras and small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
nternational Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Malaysia is carrying out two cost-benefit analyses on the effects of the TPPA on Bumiputeras and SMEs, as well as a national interest study.
“The government will ensure sensitive national issues are exempted from the TPPA, including the interests of Bumiputera and SMEs.
“This is the government’s assurance,” he said at a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat sitting here Teusday.
He was replying to a question from Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) who wanted to know whether the government is under pressure to sign the TPPA, and the measures to protect national interests and industry players.
Mustapa said the government is negotiating on Malaysia’s terms to ensure the interests of the nation and people are not compromised, including preserving the Malaysian Constitution, the powers of the states, and important policies.
He also reiterated the government’s stand that it will not sign the TPPA if the pact is found to infringe Malaysia’s sovereignty.
“The government is not pressured by any quarter (to sign the TPPA) as alleged. We are also negotiating voluntarily, there is no pressure from any quarter.
“The agreement is not finalised, and is still at the negotiation stage,” he said.
Mustapa also repeated Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that the visit by US President Barack Obama to Malaysia in October is not related to the TPPA or to pressure the country into signing the pact.
Mustapa also urged the relevant quarters not to go ahead with their plans to hold demonstrations against the TPPA during Obama’s visit.
Not much progress has been achieved in several series of meetings by the TPPA chief negotiators last week to resolve outstanding issues since the 19th negotiating round in Brunei on Aug 21-30, he said.
“This included goverment procurement, intellectual property, governmnt-owned companies, investor-state dispute settlement, retirement access and the environment,” he explained.
Mustapa said the TPP ministers will meet again next month, followed by a summit of TPP leaders in Bali on Oct 8.
– BERNAMA
