'Saying no to TPPA is Umno's final lifeline'
Rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will be Umno’s final lifeline, said Malay rights pressure group Perkasa.
Its president Ibrahim Ali believes about most NGOs and leading thinkers in the country oppose to the TPPA which is negotiated in secret.
"I want to call the government's attention on TPPA. I observe that around 95 percent of NGOs did not agree for the government to sign it.
“I have heard that the government is going to sign it first, then explain it to the people. This is in reverse of what should happen," he said in Rawang today.
Ibrahim also wants Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to focus on issues directly affecting the people, and scandals embroiling his government and leadership, including 1MDB and the RM 2.6 billion donation scandal.
“Our statesmen and economists disagree with the TPPA. Put that together with the good and services tax, the sliding ringgit, Felda problems, mass retrenchments in Malaysia Airlines, 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation.
“If the government still signs the TPPA after all that, it will be over for Umno,” Ibrahim (photo) said.
The TPPA is a multinational free trade agreement in which the US is a main proponent. Apart from Malaysia, other countries involved in the negotiations include Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Mexico and Canada.
International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed said the draft agreement will be made public a month from now if the Atlanta talks end in Malaysia’s favour.
The final round of negotiations for the TPPA is on-going in Atlanta, United States this week.
The two cost benefit analysis (CBA) studies initiated by the Miti on the TPPA's impact on bumiputera policy, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and national interests has yet to be made public.
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