NGOs push panic button on FTA
Sun2Surf (Malaysia) | Wed, 12 Apr 2006
NGOs push panic button on FTA
Joseph Masilamany
KUALA LUMPUR: A recent symposium has sent a siren call to Malaysian institutions and the public to voice their concerns against the impending signing of the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which, the organisers said, would affect local society in many ways, from job and food security to access to affordable medication.
Another concern raised was the absence of any avenue for public participation in the shaping of the FTA, a commitment that would inevitably affect their lives and livelihood.
Organised by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Third World Network (TWN), the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and participants at the symposium expressed fears that the March 8 announcement by both Malaysia and the United States to start negotiating the FTA was a signal that the agreement will soon be inked.
"There will be high pressure negotiations in the next few months, as the aim is to conclude the deal by the end of the year, to take advantage of the US president’s `fast-track authority’ that ends in mid-2007," said TWN legal adviser Chee Yoke Ling.
She said the negotiations would cover a wide range of sectors of importance to Malaysians which can have significant impact on jobs and food security, access to affordable medicines, the resilience of the domestic industry and service providers, the viability of small industries and, eventually, national sovereignity.
Among the other issues discussed: - The process and politics of US FTAs; - Impact on the agricultural, industrial goods and services sector, and domestic industries; and - The implications of patents on the price of medicines and intellectual property as well as restrictions on investments.
CAP medical adviser Dr T.J. Balan said the FTA may restrict the production of generic medications in the country and this could mean not only costlier medication but also other healthcare services such as treatment, diagnostic and surgical procedures.
He told theSun those suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart problems and hypertension as well as people living with HIV/AIDS will be the hardest hit.
A memorandum in Bahasa Malaysia and in English was also issued to the participants to be reproduced for distribution to the public.
The memorandum, signed by groups and the public, is to be forwarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.
