Local interest blocs behind FTA drive?

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 7 Jul 2007     Source : Malaysiakini

Complex international developments have led the European Union (EU) to knock on the doors of Asean member-countries to lobby for bilateral free trade agreements (FTA).

In Malaysia as elsewhere, however, internal interests are also pushing the government to sign onto the Asean FTA with EU.

It is high time, said an economist, to look at who these interests are rather than blaming it all on a neo-colonial agenda of external forces.

Expect lopsided results, warns lobby group

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 27 Jun 2007     Source : Malaysiakini

All Malaysians - not just Malays - stand to lose out to big business should a free trade agreement (FTA) be signed between Asean and the European Union (EU), cautioned lobby group Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation.

Its director Charles Santiago was picking up on revived public debate on the New Economic Policy (NEP) following criticism by European Commission (EC) envoy to Malaysia Thierry Rommel ( photo ) who described it as a deterrent to foreign investment.

While it is high time the government corrects the flawed aspects of the NEP, scrapping it in the context of FTA negotiations will not necessarily level the playing field for non-bumiputeras, Santiago said when contacted.