Malay businessmen hand TPPA memo to PM, seek 75 non-negotiable conditions

Najib receiving the memorandum from Nizam at the Raya open house today. The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim. August 28, 2013.

A group representing 650,000 Malay entrepreneurs wants a controversial Pacific free trade pact to be completely revamped, heaping more pressure on the Najib administration ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit here in October.

The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) handed a memorandum to Datuk Seri Najib Razak calling for limits to opening up of certain sectors and removing government procurement and state-owned enterprises from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) now being discussed in Brunei.

"We represent 650,000 entrepreneurs and this resolution is based on our collective assessment of the TPPA," MTEM chief executive Nizam Mashar told reporters after hosting Najib at a Hari Raya open house today in the Intan campus in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

Among the limitations demanded are on the liberalisation of certain sectors., The resolution also seeks the removal of the investment, government procurement, intellectual property, State Owned Enterprises chapters from the TPPA.

In short, the resolution aims to completely revamp the TPPA.

This was in line with the view of former prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who had advised Malaysia from entering into the TPPA.

Dr Mahathir had presided over a MTEM roundtable on Monday that produced the resolution.

"We concur with Dr Mahathir's views," said Nizam to The Malaysian Insider today. - August 28, 2013.

(Source: The Malaysian Insider)