‘Why the secrecy over trade talks’

PKR asks why the government did not make the free trade talks with Australia public.

PETALING JAYA: PKR has attacked the government for keeping quiet over Malaysia’s free-trade-agreement (FTA) talks with Australia.

Its vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said that most Malaysian citizens was not privy to the trade talks between the two countries, which had been ongoing for seven years.

“This exclusion from discussions, debates or any other form of participation…(and) parliamentary ratification denies the public their right to…scrutiny of international treaties and agreements…which could affect national interests and sovereignty,” she said in a press statement.

She said that the government was free to sign agreements without parliament’s approval, though Nurul questioned Malaysia’s “secrecy” on the matter.

Earlier today, Malaysia signed an FTA with Australia, terming it as the Malaysian-Australian Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA).

The FTA is Malaysia’s sixth, following after countries like Japan, Chile and New Zealand.

Among its purported benefits include the removal of tariffs for all Malaysian exports to Australia and for most goods from there heading here, which will come into effect on Jan 1 next year.

Other Australian goods such as automotive vehicles, fruits, and steel and iron products will have their tariffs “progressively liberalised” and eventually removed by the year 2020.

Another matter that Nurul raised concerned the controversial Australian-based Lynas rare earth plant near Kuantan, which will see operations commence later this year.

The question of the plant’s purportedly hazardous refined waste was foremost in her mind.

She asked: “[Will] Australia, under MAFTA, accept the export of waste and by-products as a result of processed rare earth materials from Lynas which can be designated as a ‘trade product’.”

Nurul also queried if Australia would comply with MAFTA’s anti-corruption rules, and in turn make Lynas disclose any “forms of corruption” if any in setting up its plant in Malaysia.

In a press conference earlier today, Australian Minister for Trade and Cooperatives claimed that the question of Lynas had no effect on FTA talks between the two countries.