Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 27): Pakatan Harapan backbenchers intend to seek Parliament’s approval for the establishment of a caucus to review the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

In a press conference at Parliament lobby today, Wong Chen (PH-Subang) and Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya) said while Parliament has approved the formation of six special Select Committees, none of them relates to macroeconomy and international trade.

“So we hope to get Parliament’s approval to form a caucus, to review CPTPP before the government ratifies this trade deal.

“We also hope to urge the government to get PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) to conduct another review on the pros and cons of CPTPP to the country,” Wong said after receiving a memorandum opposing the CPTPP from representatives of Bantah CPTPP.

Bantah CPTPP is made up of six coalitions of non-government organisations (NGOs) and 28 of individual NGOs.

Wong said the benefits of CPTPP to Malaysia have become insignificant, after the United States pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

“CPTPP is basically the same trade agreement called TPPA but without the participation of the US. The already very small gains that MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) used to justify the previous TPPA will now become totally insignificant without the US markets,” he said.

“Malaysia has signed the CPTPP but for it to be enforceable in Malaysia, Malaysia must ratify it by amending at least 27 laws and regulations which the government has yet to disclose. 

“Malaysia can walk away from the CPTPP without penalty or simply refuse to ratify the CPTPP indefinitely, as there is no timeline to adhere to,” Wong noted.

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