PRESENT POINT POWER

ABOVE: The placard message is loud & clear: "Don't Let USA Rule Malaysia, STOP Free Trade Agreement Talks"

KUALA LUMPUR : Some 300 Malaysian activists on Monday held a noisy protest calling for the suspension of free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with the United States, Malaysia's major trading partner. Activists armed with banners, posters and a coffin to signify the deadly implications of the pact on the cost of drugs gathered outside a Kuala Lumpur hotel where the negotiations are taking place, chanting "Stop the FTA, US officials go home".

ABOVE: "SEGERA" in Bahasa Malaysia means "URGENT" Stop these talks, no benefit to us
Xavier Jayakumar, chairman of the Coalition Against Malaysia-US FTA, demanded an immediate halt to the talks and urged the government to conduct a "cost and benefit study" before pursuing the trade deal. "Has Malaysia done any evaluation on what will be the impact on the society if we sign the FTA?" he said.

"Has Malaysia done any evaluation on what will be the impact on the society if we sign the FTA?"

"Why the secrecy over the FTA? We are equally concerned over the fast pace of the talks," added Jayakumar, whose alliance represents 34 civil and political groups. Trade representatives from both sides began three-day talks Monday, the third round of negotiations which are being fast-tracked with the aim of striking a deal before June, when Congress will regain the right to amend any agreement. Washington has said it expects access to Malaysia's sensitive car market. Malaysia in turn seeks more US access for its textiles, clothes and electrical products.

"Suspend talks and hold a public consultation and to conduct a study on the impact of the trade deal"
During the hour-long protest, the organisers handed a memorandum to a Malaysian trade official calling for a suspension to allow for public consultation and a study on the impact of the trade deal. Sivarasa Rasiah, vice-president of the People's Justice Party, warned that under the FTA Malaysia might not be able to import cheap generic medicines. "This will push the cost of medicine sky high. Malaysians will not be able afford them. That is why we have brought the coffin here. The FTA will have a deadly effect on us," he said. Syed Sharir, president of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress which represents some 750,000 employees, said an FTA with the US would hurt workers. "We are concerned about job security. Foreign investors are only interested in business and not the welfare of workers," he said. - AFP /dt

ABOVE & BELOW: The organising committee at the hotel premises before handing over a memorandum

Protests greet Malaysia-U.S. FTA talks;

(Kyodo) - Malaysia and the United States began a third round of talks Monday to forge a bilateral free-trade deal amid protests from dozens of Malaysians who want the talks suspended on concerns the developing country will lose out. The activists, carrying placards and chanting "Stop the FTA, U.S. officials go home," gathered outside a posh hotel in the city center where Malaysian and U.S. officials are to hold five days of talks.

The activists from the Alliance Against the U.S.-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement, a coalition of some 30 rights and opposition groups, also brought with them a mock coffin to signify the "deadly" impact of the FTA. Xavier Jayakumar, chairman of the alliance, called for an immediate halt to the talks and for the Malaysian government to conduct a "cost and benefit study" of the trade deal. "Has Malaysia done any evaluation on what will be the impact on the society if we sign the FTA?" he asked, "We are still very far behind the U.S. in terms of development, constitutional laws and institutions. We need to strengthen our institutions first. We need to get our house in order to be in a position to bargain."

The United States and Malaysia launched their first formal negotiations in June with the aim of concluding a free-trade pact by the end of the year. The United States wants to send the FTA to Congress for approval before July 1, 2007, the date when President George W. Bush's administration loses its authority to negotiate deals that need Congress to approve or reject without amendment. The United States is Malaysia's largest trading partner, accounting for 16.6 percent of Malaysia's global trade and 19.7 percent of total exports last year. It is also Malaysia's biggest foreign investor. Malaysia is the United States' 10th largest trading partner, with $44 billion in two-way trade. The U.S. National Association of Manufacturers predicted bilateral trade would double by 2010 once the FTA is in place.

But the activists are concerned healthcare costs would rise under the FTA as generic manufacturers could face new restrictions. "This will push the cost of medicine sky high. Malaysians will not be able to afford them. That is why we have brought the coffin here. The FTA will have a deadly effect on us," Sivarasa Rasiah, vice president of the opposition People's Justice Party, said. "In many countries, such FTAs are creating more misery than good. We are concerned about the future of this country...We are concerned about job security. Foreign investors are only interested in business and not the welfare of workers," said Malaysian Trade Union Congress President Syed Shahir Syed Mohamad. The protesters later handed a memorandum to Malaysian trade officials, urging them to suspend talks and hold a public consultation and to conduct a study on the impact of the trade deal.