by Zikri Kamarulzaman Published 9 Nov 2015 Source : Malaysiakini
A DAP lawmaker wants the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to review the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Klang MP Charles Santiago said this was to ensure that the free trade agreement complied with Malaysian laws.
This is especially for the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) chapter, which allows foreign investors to sue governments over public policy.
"They can challenge Parliament, they can challenge our courts. Is this legal?
"I'm sure the AGC has a copy of the text; now it has to say whether or not it is legal," Charles said.
Other chapters, such as intellectual property rights and labour, he said, would touch on human rights matters.
"You have now human rights: the right to affordable healthcare, access to information, to a livelihood.
"So I want the government to give a set of the TPPA agreement to Suhakam to do a human rights assessment," he said.
The intellectual property rights chapter, among others, touches on patents for biologics, something that can affect the sale of generic medicine.
The TPPA is a multinational free trade agreement in which the US is a main proponent. Apart from Malaysia, other countries involved in its secretive negotiations include Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Mexico, and Canada, among others.
A cost-benefit analysis of the agreement is scheduled to be released in two weeks time.
Parliament will then vote on whether or not to sign the trade pact during a special sitting in either January or early February.
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