PUTRAJAYA: A group of 54 organisations submitted a
memorandum to the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (MAFI) today to seek
clarification about Malaysia's ratification of the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnerships (CPTPP).
Malaysia Food Sovereignty Forum (MFSF) head
coordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad said the organisations want the matter to be
brought to the cabinet.
They said this would allow Malaysia's CPTPP
membership to be evaluated for the benefit of farmers, fishermen, livestock
breeders as well as the safety of the country's food supply.
The organisation submitted the memorandum to
Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Mohamad Sabu here today.
"This memorandum will answer and unpack malicious
accusations involving certain facts. It will explain to the minister the facts
about adverse effects of this agreement on the country's agriculture sector.
"Malaysia's participation in the CPTPP will have a severe
negative impact on farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen as well as on food
security and Malaysia's sovereignty," he said after handing over the
memorandum here today.
The 54 organisations represent farmers, livestock breeders,
fishermen, consumer associations, environmental groups, businesses, economic
associations along with social, human rights, health, religious, cultural, research
and development entities.
Nurfitri said Mohamad would further provide updates to the
International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) to advocate for the CPTPP to
be revoked.
"Nevertheless, the prime minister and cabinet should handle
this matter, not Miti. The prime minister needs to respond to this issue.
"The minister said he would bring up our demands to the
cabinet meeting," said Nurfitri.
Present at the handover event were Muslim Consumers Association
of Malaysia president Datuk Nadzim Johan.
Early this month, Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies
(MCMTC) president Callum Chen said Malaysia could not afford to withdraw from
the CPTPP as the agreement was crucial for the country's trade in moving
forward.
He said unlike other trade agreements, the CPTTP does not only
open up trade but brings about technical assistance and transfer of technology
know-how, which was critical for capacity building for local businesses.
"The MCMTC stands together with the Federation of Malaysian
Manufacturers which is against the call from certain parties urging the
government to withdraw from the long-awaited CPTPP, which took effect from Nov
29, 2022," Chen had said in a statement.
In citing an example, he had said a delay in its ratification
has caused Malaysia to lose ground in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI),
unlike countries such as Vietnam, which signed earlier in January 2019, and has
now become a springboard for Canada to get into the Asean market via the CPTPP.
Article by: New Straits Times
DEMANDS BY 54 ORGANISATIONS ON CPTPP MATTERS TO BE BROUGHT TO CABINET
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