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Is the TPP really a leap forward for Malaysia?

Shankaran Nambiar
East Asia Forum
13 February 2016

Malaysia’s leadership must be extremely satisfied on two counts: their success in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the parliament’s favourable position on the agreement.

It is amazing that Malaysia has negotiated to preserve the Bumiputera agenda, obtain a minimum five-year grace period to reform state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and gain exemption for Khazanah from investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions for two years after the deal comes into force.

There were fears that the TPP would necessitate the dismantling of SOEs, prise open the government procurement market and cause the whittling down of the Bumiputera agenda. Those anxieties are unfounded. The TPP has turned out to be an agreement where the Malaysian government can have its cake and eat it too.

While maintaining the Bumiputera agenda may be a victory of sorts in the short term, it reduces the impetus for drastic economic reforms. The push towards greater private sector participation, in particular, will be further postponed. Economic efficiency may have been sacrificed in an effort to appease a significant domestic political constituency. The TPP negotiations presented a trade-off between obtaining political support for the agreement and striving to achieve efficiency and greater social welfare gains. It seems that the end result tilted in favour of the former. Continue reading “Is the TPP really a leap forward for Malaysia?”

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The case against the TPPA

– Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
26 January 2016

I have written to the Dewan Rakyat secretary Datuk Roosme, with copies to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin and DAP whip Loke Siew Fook, on my medical leave from the January 26 and 27 sitting.

I am still recovering from Bell’s palsy, a paralysis of the facial nerves.

If I were present, I would have voted against the TPPA, alongside with other DAP and Pakatan Harapan MPs.

I probably would ask for a chance to speak against the deal too.

Much as I regretted my absence at this critical vote, I am comforted by the fact that DAP does have very strong and well-informed speakers for the debate. Continue reading “The case against the TPPA”