Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(Nov 26): Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) lodged a police report against the prime minister and minister in charge of international trade over the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), urging police to probe the authorities for possible criminal offences committed in the course of reaching the agreement.

The party's Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj said the report was lodged as the trade deal threatened to undermine Malaysia's judicial system.

"It gives more advantage to foreign investors as cases do not have to go through Malaysian courts. They can ignore it and bypass the system and take the matter to international tribunals instead," Jeyakumar said after lodging the report at the Sentul police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

The police report was lodged against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed for allegedly accepting the "terms" set in the TPPA, which are feared to give foreign investors an upper hand in trade deals and disputes.

Jeyakumar said this was akin to giving foreign investors a "blank cheque" to drag the Malaysian government to international tribunals.

Jeyakumar said PSM in principle agreed with the setting up of an international tribunal, but in trade disputes, the judges ought to be selected from countries that were not party to the disagreement.

Party secretary-general A. Sivarajan said the TPPA would have a huge impact on working Malaysians.

"Our concern is the right of Malaysians. We also lodged a report against the PM and MITI minister because the agreement was drafted in a hush-hush manner," he said.

He added that police should investigate if the agreement amounted to contempt of court.

On November 4, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) and two other Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) filed for a judicial review to stop Putrajaya from signing the contentious TPPA.

They also want the government to release the agreement and other related documents to them and the public.

The three are also seeking a declaration that provisions in the TPPA will amount to a breach of fundamental provisions in the Federal Constitution.

Twelve countries including Malaysia signed the text of the agreement in Atlanta, United States last month.

Mustapa, the minister in charge, said it would be debated in Parliament next year before ratification. – The Malaysian Insider

 

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