Stop being secretive about TPPA, Mahathir tells gov't
The government should stop "being secretive" about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and reveal the details to the public.
The government should stop "being secretive" about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and reveal the details to the public.
"The government must not be secretive because this involves the people of Malaysia," former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad told a press conference after attending the roundtable on TPPA organised by the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) today.
"Hiding from the public means that there are things in the agreement that the (negotiators) don't want the public to know,” said Mahathir, who said he had read all 29 chapters of the agreement.
"This agreement will increase our imports and reduce our exports. It is not good for us. I am indirectly telling the government not to sign this agreement.”
Mahathir said that the negotiation over TPPA has been going for a “very long time” but “has been hidden from the public”.
“This is why we feel suspicious and worried, because if they are doing it secretly that means they are trying to hide something from the public,” he said.
“Now that there is a leakage, we know about these issues,” he added.
He said that those who “forget history will punished by repeating the same mistakes”.
“Powers-that-be can control the country not only through military power, but through economic muscle as well,” he said.
Asked whether rejecting the TPPA would put Malaysia in the bad books of the US, Mahathir said that Malaysia is already following US in many aspects.
“When US imposes sanctions on Iran, we impose sanctions, too. We are already part of the US. We are not in a Cold War against them,” he said cheekily.
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