Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz assured us that Washington understood Malaysia's need to retain its policies favouring bumiputras. She asserted it was Malaysia’s sovereign right to do so.
There were fears that as part of the free trade pact currently being negotiated between Malaysia and the USA, the USA may call for a dismantling of the procurement process from its bumiputra-first policy
She promised: "If government procurement in transparency is what is required, no problem. But if anybody, the US or anybody, wants to impinge upon our rights to put forward or to implement a particular type of policy, that's no go. If anybody tells us we would like for you to change your policy, the answer is a big fat no."
Let me assure Mak Chik that there shouldn’t be any worries too on such unfounded fears. If anyone understands blatant discrimination, it’s the United States of America.
Look at the years when it not only condoned but actively abetted Saddam Hussein’s persecution and perpetration of war crimes against his own Iraqi people.
Look at how the USA strongly supports and (in the recent case of Lebanon) encourages Israel to commit war crimes against Arab people.
Look at its history of abetting dictators across the globe, from South Korea to the Middle East, right across to South America.
The USA will be completely at home with our NEP and bumiputra policies.
But watch out for the prices of pharmaceutical products that originated from the USA. As part of FTA it will call for the abandonment of cheaper generic products to protect its US pharmaceutical industry. And that’s only the ‘bitter’ pills. Watch out for other areas like airline rights, our palm oil versus its soya bean products, etc.
It will gouge as much ringgit out of Malaysians as it possibly can, but no worries, it won’t touch on bumiputra issues.
Your comments on the FTA negotiations between the US and Malaysia betrays a shallow understanding of international trade.
ReplyDeleteKTemoc's point is, our country is reaping the consequences of uneven 'wealth-distribution' policies, which is detrimentle to both our socio-economy well-being in the long-run/until racial tolerance wears off.
ReplyDeleteBy protecting our own racial bias economy, we are no better than the global hegemony that it sought to distance which in this case, the popular but unfavorable US was cited.
The FTA has its pros and cons. It's up to anyone's interpretation, depending on where you stand.
The last statement is a classic KTemoc sarcasm which, again depending on level of intellect and which side you're on, will either make you pissed or reward you with dark humour. =)
good day.
anon.'s comment on the US-My FTA reveals his/her shallow understanding of the effect of US bilateral TAs
ReplyDeleteWe are in the same tregional boat as Singapore. Some Singaporeans were skeptical of the benefits a FTA would have for Singapore. However, the US-Singapore FTA is a reality and their economy has outperformed ours this year and last. I sure bet these skeptics are skeptics no more.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia's efforts in chasing after a FTA with the US before President Bush loses his power to fast track FTA agreements is comical or even pathetic. Here you have a nation like Makaysia who is constantly criticising the US grovelling for a FTA at the feet of the man they call a war criminal. FTA's work because they
force economies to be more efficient in the distribution of resources thereby leading to a more equitable distribution of wealth throughout the economy.
Something which we know the BN government is not truly interested in
By the way even Japan is open to the idea of FTAs today.
Go figure.