Tuesday, July 30, 2013

TPPA's shroud of secrecy


MITI Minister, Dato Mustapha Mohamed denied MITI is keeping secrets. He said we cannot reveal to details of the negotiation and negotiating plans. .

And, he gave assurance that we will hold on to three principles to uphold constitution and law, maintain the distinction between federal and state power, and no change in our policies.

There is no basis to keep secrets at least from the stakeholders because allow it for public scrutiny and willing to be rejected at state level.

Our worry is the someone knowledgeable and eloquent on this subject told us that the Chief Negotiator, Dato Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria told them that after going through 17 rounds of negotiation, "It has been a good learning experience for them."

This affect the nation and it is merely a learning experience?

Secret deal

The claim that there is no secrecy is hard to swallow.

However, we take pity with Tok Pa. Dato Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was the person who "Shake it up, baby" with President Obama. JJ then convince PM and an alleged secret deal was made with Obama.

Unfortunately, it is Tok Pa that end up doing the "Twist and shout" because he was instructed by PM to "Come on and work it out."

This info came from an UMNO member academician with corporate experiance.

That's life as a true PTD officer that adhere to the motto "Saya yang menurut perintah" that he has to carry someone else bastard baby girl by the name of TiPPAh.

It looks as though JJ memandai-mandai but it is Tok Pa that end up having to explain at a MITI Open Day on Thursday August 1st beginning at 9 AM at Martrade Jalan Duta. To wake up in the morning? Sigh ... 

JJ was so smitten with Obama that we had a BN campaign run like a US Presidential election. We are no more campaigning and promoting BN but asking the people to love the PM.

Unfortunately, PM only ran in Pekan and not whole of Malaysia. That is the underlying reason a debate between Najib and Anwar is not relevant. For all you know, it is not Anwar that will be the choice for PR's PM. 

China factor



All the world could see in TPPA is that it is another version of the pre-World War II Japanese call for Co-Prosperity. That later end up them coming to invade Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.

This time it is not the Japanese but a geo-global game by the American to use trade to contain China. However, it is sugar-coated as economic diplomacy by Vice President, Joe Biden recently in a speech at Georgetown University. Since when do these cowboys use diplomacy?

China has applied to be the 12th member of the TPPA but one will not expect an answer till there is something consummated in the Bilateral Investment Treaty between China and US.


There is a dateline on negotiation. To join the currently 11 nation TPP after it is signed, one will have to agree "hook, line and sinker" to the terms without any room to negotiate.

Nevertheless, what is the use of signing the TPPA if China is not included?


China is our second biggest trading partner and putting aside Singapore, which is merely an entreport, China is practically our main trading partner.

Eventually, it will be our biggest trading partner in the future. They are making big investment in Malaysia including in RAPID and tunnel project in Penang.

But the Americans do not want them, thus it is not advantageous on Malaysia.   

End of trade?


Will it mean that it is the end of trade if we do not sign it?

Our question to one commentator, who strongly argues on the ground of trades, is it really a lost cause?

One honest feedback from one patriotic successful entrepreneur is that Malaysia is competitive, thus we can trade even without TPPA.

It is consistent with what we had written before as in that most of the other trade agreements are not utilised and our exporters hardly bothered to involve the highly documentation requirement of exporting under trade agreements.

We do not know who the commentator is but that comments we got came from a trade "expert", seasoned and patriotic entrepreneurs, and none are Tingkat 4 or PEMANDU-types..

The same trade expert believe that fair trade terms cannot be reached.


Sadly, the commentator was not focused on TPPA and got astrayed in his debate with other commentators to complain for Malaysia's trailing development to Singapore.

Should have focus on TPPA because his argument is usual and rather myopic. It will eventually zero in on the  corrupt and inefficient UMNO/BN government of more than 50 years. Underlying it is racism and stereotyping Malays as corrupt and do not know how to govern.

It can be countered by saying non Malay also do not know how to govern well because some of the TPPA negotiators from MITI are non Malays. That is certainly not fair.

It will also not be fair to say that non Malay are not patriotic because too small numbers join police, soldiers. and civil servant but instead rather be illegal porn VCD sellers and easily angered street fighters and gangsters. 

Malaysia did not become developed in the mold of Singapore's city urban state because of many other  equally relevant factors.

This issue will be laid to rest and no comments entertained. Let us focus on TPPA.

Nation Building



TPPA will affect the whole nation.

It is not just Malay and their argument for subsidy and help. Though valid concern because Malays represent 60% of Malaysian population, thus issue affecting 60% of the nation need to be dealt with. It can't be left to Omar Ong's orang putih consultant, PEMANDU and Bangsar young ciku staff.

Few Chinese-based trade association, FMM and Chinese businessman wanted to see TPPA through but on the insidious selfish intention of denying any form of Malay special rights and affirmative action.

They should realise that the Chinese that benefit are only the 'big business' ones. Furthermore, TPPA is meant to benefit the MNCs, particularly the Americans.

Some 60% of Chinese SMEs are merely secondary product which depended on MNCs. These manufacturing outfits hardly create products of significance, develop markets, trained and developed human capital, and apply or develop new technologies of significance.

Despite plans laid out in the Industrial Master Plan (last being 2005-2015), such businesses remained labor intensive and rely on imported labours thus creating social problems. Yet the Chinese via DAP themselves complain.


For the Malays, Iban, KDM, Bajau, Orang Asli, Indians and remaining unselfish Chinese, together with other SME businesses, they will be severely affected by these selfish quick money businessmen.
 
Under TPPA, we will lose our sovereignty as a nation because MNCs can sue the government for policies meant to benefit and protect it's national interest. That will involve Melayu, Iban. Kadazan, Murut, Cina, India, etc.

For the interest of MNCs, Malaysia has to succumb to their whims and fancies through their barking dog, the Honalulu-born black boy.

It is not even for the benefit of the American people but international outfit more financially powerful than governments. The invisible stakeholders are only concern with power and increasing shareholders value.

We will not be able to put law and policies to build and develop the nation. And we will not be able to address the stumbling blocks to the progress of our economy, social, political, education, spiritual,etc. It is these invisible hands that determine our law. We are basically re-colonised!

In the Dark


The strange observation of TPPA and our negotiators are that they are keeping it all from the public. No one realised that Malaysia have been involved in the negotiation till the current 18th round is held in Kota Kinablu albeit secretly too.

In the past when Malaysia was involved in negotiations on GATT, Urugyay Round, AFTA, WTO, DOha and Kyoto, stakeholders views are sought after. Feedbacks are seek and compiled. Malaysia goes to the negotiations well prepared.

Still learning?
Thus, we do not say such things as "It was a good learning experiance." It means the Government had sent novices to negotiate!

When Malaysia was negotiating with the American for FTA, there were some 50 issues that was settled. That time, FMM, wholesomely agreed.

TPPA is worse yet they agree. WTF is Paul Low doing inside cabinet?

Another strange aspect of the secrecy is that there is a request to keep the negotiation and it's details under lid. The suspicion is that it is an instruction from Obama and JJ agreed.

In the US, it is not quite a secret but other countries must maintain secrecy. New Zealanders complained. Australians complained. Bet many others countries are complaining too.

Even that Global Research article here revealed 130 members of the American Congress demanded more transparency on the US Trade representative.

Tun Dr Mahathir told few parties meeting him recently that not only the the public is not allowed to know what was agreed during negotiations, they are not allowed to know 5 years after the agreement was signed. Is that not strange enough?

Not for People


Another Global research article below:
The “Trans-Pacific Partnership”: Obama’s Secret Trade Deal

By Greg Guma
Global Research, April 05, 2013

Out of public view the Obama administration is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a US-led free trade deal with several Pacific Rim countries. Six hundred US corporate advisers have had input, but so far the text hasn’t been shared with the public or media.

The level of secrecy is unprecedented. During discussions paramilitary teams guard the premises, helicopters loom overhead, and there’s a near-total media blackout on the subject. US Senator Ron Wyden, who chairs the congressional committee with jurisdiction over TPP agreement, was denied access to the negotiation texts.

In a floor statement to Congress Wyden said, “The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of US corporations — like Halliburton, Chevron, Comcast and the Motion Picture Association of America — are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement.”

The deal would give multinational corporations unprecedented rights to demand taxpayer compensation for policies they think will undermine their expected future profits — straight from the treasuries of participating nations. It would push Big Pharma’s agenda in the developing world — longer monopoly controls on drugs, drastically limiting access to affordable generic meds that people need.

The TPP would undermine food safety by limiting labeling and forcing countries like the US to import food that fails to meet its national safety standards,  and ban Buy America or Buy Local preferences.

The proposed legislation on intellectual property will have enormous impacts, including Internet termination for households, businesses, and organizations as an accepted penalty for copyright infringement.

Nations who sign on to the deal would essentially submit themselves to oppressive IP restrictions designed by Hollywood, severely limiting their ability to digitally exchange information on sites like YouTube, where streaming videos are considered copyrightable.

“Broader copyright and intellectual property rights demands by the US would lock up the Internet, stifle research and increase education costs, by extending existing generous copyright from 70 years to 120 years, and even making it a criminal offense to temporarily store files on a computer without authorization. The US, a net exporter of digital information, would be the only party to benefit from this,” said Patricia Ranald, convener of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network.

It only shows to proof that TPPA is not for the common people's benefit and prosperity but secret deals for the big business MNCs to continue to leech on the masses. 


Najib ... please reconsider. Get your ears on the ground or TPPA can be a political tombstone. There is no such thing as no choice. The human minds knows better what to do and way to move forward.

Malaysia boleh. But, it is only PEMANDU and their untrained bunch of people that kept thinking tak boleh fikirkan and seeking for quick fix from Consultants.

Harness the ability within and not be sold to novelties that are practical.

1Malaysia: Rakyat!!!!  ..... (silence)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...
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GGK said...
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Anonymous said...

The secrecy of Najib in TPPA is extremely dangerous to the nation. IT IS SOO FISHY ! This is my country.. and as a rakyat I demand a full disclosure.

It is a time for UMNO member to think one million time to save the country. Use 5 Oct 2013 to show rakyat power to remove the unwanted leader ( I would say follower ), so that the hidden hand @ PEMANDU lost their grip.

For the starter, I strongly believe to remove Najib, Nazri, KJ, Hishamuddin & JJ from UMNO leadership. THESE ARE USELESS AND TOOTHLESS LEADER.

For UMNO member, the future of Malaysia, the future of Islam and the future of Malay are at your hand. PLEASE USE WISELY. USE YOUR BRAIN WITH GUIDE OF ALLAH.

A Voice said...

Stay within topic please. Will not allow this to go on ...

Anonymous said...

Assalammualaikum wbt Dear Voice,

1.Thank you for your article.I was involved in the formation of the MSC in the middle and late 90's.We know what we are doing ,why we doing it and where we are heading.....We know because the chap that create the philosophy behind it,conceive it and drive it was superb - Tun M.

2.Who is in the driver seat now ? Najib. You know and I know and many people knows that he FAILED.He failed BIG time.

3.So,why don't we address the real problem - Najib must GO !

Thanks and selamat berbuka puasa

A Friend of Penarik Beca

Anonymous said...

If the TPPA is for MALAYSIAN MANUFACTURED GOODS, and open up the whole Malaysian market for all businesses to compete openly, PLEASE FORGET ABOUT THE TPPA WHICH WILL KILL THE BUMIPUTRA AND NON-BUMIPUTRA BUSINESSES. MALAYSIA IS STILL DEPENDENT ON PETROLEUM AND PALM OIL EXPORTS AS SOLD IN THE OPEN MARKET. WE HAVE BEEN SCREWED ONCE BY SINGAPORE THROUGH THE 1962 WATER AGREEMENT. SINGAPORE WILL SCREW US A SECOND TIME FOR GOOD VIA THE TPPA. NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS.

GGK said...

Anon 7:23 PM

The same old tired excuses and rhetoric again?

Man, don't you get tired of playing the same tune over and over again?

Start with Fitch's downgrade of Malaysia.

Why don't you bend your powerful intellect to debunk and refute Fitch's arguments?

It should be easy-peasy for you, given your grasp of economic fundamentals and all.

My Say