Political and civil society groups today decried the government's
'unholy haste' to sign the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and
demanded that more time be allotted to deliberate the issues at stake.
They said International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz's rush
to forge a Cabinet consensus for the FTA belied not only claims that
Malaysia was not beholden to US pressures, but also assurances that a
comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has already been conducted.
Two weeks ago, it was reported that Rafidah briefed ministers on 58 contentious issues holding up the FTA. They are expected to submit their views this Wednesday, following which a decision would be made on whether the FTA would be feasible or not.
They said International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz's rush
to forge a Cabinet consensus for the FTA belied not only claims that
Malaysia was not beholden to US pressures, but also assurances that a
comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has already been conducted.Two weeks ago, it was reported that Rafidah briefed ministers on 58 contentious issues holding up the FTA. They are expected to submit their views this Wednesday, following which a decision would be made on whether the FTA would be feasible or not.
