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.

Water: A challenge to religious leaders

by  Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 31 Mar 2007     Source : Malaysiakini

Religious leaders in the country were challenged today to apply the teachings of their respective scriptures on water and declare their opposition to the 'profitisation' of the natural resource.

At the forefront of the call was Council of Churches of Malaysia's (CCM) general secretary Hermen Shastri, who urged church leaders to ink their objections to the privatisation of water treatment, supply, and management at a profit and at the expense of the people.

"Water was created by God as a gift for all people," Shastri told participants at a forum on Religion and the Human Right to Water held at Universiti Malaya (UM) in Petaling Jaya.
The event was organised by the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) and several other non-governmental organisations.

M'sia pressured to ease up on GM food regulations

by  Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 27 Feb 2007    Source : Malaysiakini

The government has been urged not to bend to US pressure to scrap its proposed laws that would bring in mandatory labeling of genetically-modified (GM) foods.

Groups lobbying against the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) said this amounts to meddling and provides yet another reason for the government not to proceed with the negotiations.

The labeling proposal is one of the provisions of the Biosafety Bill that has already been approved by the cabinet but has yet to be tabled in Parliament. The bill governs the production and sale of GM organisms and their by-products.

Gov't in 'unholy haste' over FTA

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 26 Feb 2007    Source : Malaysiakini

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.

Outsourcing - Caught in no-mans land

by  Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 9 Jan 2007     Source : Malaysiakini

For five years, Ali had been toiling for his company. All of a sudden, the company told Ali that he was no longer needed.

Ali protested. Surely, he could not be sacked on the spot. His company said 'yes'. After all, he was not on the company's payroll. Unbeknown to him, the 'real' company which Ali had been working for all these years was a labour contractor. It was this labour contractor which is supplying workers like Ali to the company.

This is the new trend in outsourcing.

End to sweat-shop era?

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 9 Jan 2007      Source : Malaysiakini

He is an auditor of the 'social' kind. While most auditors pore over accounts to ensure that companies remain profitable, Charles Santiago social audits the often unpleasant conditions of factories on behalf of workers.

His 'clients' are multinational corporations that range from coffee (and coffee-mug) producers and garments manufacturers to those producing high-technology components such as computer chips for automobiles and electronic goods.

Santiago, who is attached to an international non-profit organisation and who usually audits factories located in Southeast Asia, also checks factories that produce for the world's largest hypermarkets and stores.

FTA not quick-fix solution for NEP woes

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 8 Jan 2007         Source : Malaysiakini

exclusive The US-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA) will alter the economic and political fundamentals in Malaysia beyond the hopes of those seeking the dismantling of such pro-Malay policies as the National Economic Policy (NEP), warns an economist.

Director of Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation Charles Santiago said Malaysians should discard the tempting illusion that the FTA will be a saviour of the non-Malay community, as the impact will be felt by all.

The government enters the fourth round of negotiations with the US Trade Representative today. Critics believe that the FTA will result in an increase in drug prices, job losses and the sidelining of local industries, among other problems .