Malaysia Should Ratify TPPA, Says Political Party Gerakan

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Gerakan believes that Malaysia should ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) as the treaty would be beneficial to the country, says its president Mah Siew Keong. He said the party has conducted a number of comprehensive studies about the agreement, including on the pros and cons. "Gerakan believes it (TPPA) would propel Malaysia to the top 10 (among the largest trading nations) by 2025 and create wealth and jobs for the benefit of all Malaysians. "The TPPA could bring forth a wave of creativity and innovation that Malaysia desperately needs to ensure it can climb the economic ladder and become not only a high-income nation by 2020, but also a nation that is at the forefront of technological innovation and sophistication," he said. Mah made the remarks when opening the party's annual dinner and a closed-door briefing on the TPPA by chief negotiator J Jayasiri at the party's headquarters here Sunday. In his speech, Mah said Malaysia has always been a trading nation, pointing out that Melaka, situated at the crossroads of Asia, was the main hub in Southeast Asia in the 15th century. He said Malaysia must return to its Melaka roots by not being afraid of openness and diversity so that it could thrive in the global arena. Mah stressed that the matter should not be politicised for the sake of scoring brownie points, saying all parties should analyse the consequences of Malaysia not being a part of the treaty. To a question, he said the stakeholders approached by Gerakan expressed concerns about the trade deal's effects on small and medium enterprises as well as the health industry. "But we (in Gerakan) believe the government should address those concerns, the way it has done with other major issues. "After all, Malaysia has signed a lot of FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) over the last 15 years, so we should be open to this idea (of the TPPA)," he said. The Malaysian People's Movement Party (Gerakan) is a political party in Malaysia. -- BERNAMA