It will be better for Malaysia to be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations than to be excluded, a cabinet minister says.

"I still believe we should be in the negotiating table and work towards a deal. I believe it is better to be in than out," Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

At the moment, Khairy said, Malaysia is trying to strike the best deal for its best interests.

"We have some concern with regard to the bumiputra issues, government procurements and economic policy for development," he said.

Khairy ( photo ) also went to describe himself as probably the most hawkish minister to raise the concern of TPPA in the cabinet.

The government needs to make tough decision for the long-run benefit, he said in a speech to the Asean Young Business Leaders Summit.

The Asean members should see themselves as an integrated community, rather than 10 different states, he said.

"National sovereignty is paramount, but at the end of the day, we can't really commit ourselves to leverage on this integration, then we stand to lose out," he said.

In this context, the Umno Youth chief said, with more than 100 percent of its GDP, Malaysia should be integrated and make tough decision.

Opposition from political parties

TPPA is a proposed trade agreement between the US and 11 other countries, aimed to promote innovation, economic growth and development.

It seeks to lower trade barriers on tariffs, establish a common framework for intellectual property, enforce standards for labour law and environmental law, and establish an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

Putrajaya entered rounds of negotiations since Oct 2010 amidst opposition from political parties and trade communities.

Khairy, who is also Rembau MP, said Putrajaya was criticised for "double political-suicide" for selling the idea of TPPA the same year with the implementation of goods and services tax (GST).

Beside the diplomacy and business connections, Khairy bids for more "crazy ideas" to forge the people-to-people relationship among Asean members, especially the young generation.

"Sometimes we have to think of crazy ideas (in achieving the goal)," he said, adding that they should think beyond the realm of their imagination.

He named sports, where Asean members agreed to study the feasibility of holding the 2034 FIFA World Cup, as one of the ways for the young people to understand the importance of being in the group.

Also present was New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser.