The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has urged the government not to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), claiming that it would be detrimental to the well-being of 12.5 million Malaysian workers.

Its president, Khalid Atan, said the feedback it had received from friendly labour organisations in other countries, including the United States, showed that workers would be at the losing end as big corporations' priority was dividends for shareholders.

He told Bernama that the agreement would also sideline many International Labour Organisation's (ILO) conventions on workers rights, thus exposing Malaysian workers to exploitation.

Another area of concern is healthcare costs in Malaysia which increases 10 percent annually, he said, adding that this would raise the prices further due to expensive drugs, and thus would greatly burden the workers.

Khalid said the agreement would also allow US firms to employ foreigners, thus suppressing wages and delaying the government's plan to turn Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

He said the agreement would also give US companies the right to sue the government through their dispute settlement mechanism.

Khalid hoped the government would seriously consider the threat to workers' future and the nation's prosperity before signing the agreement as big corporations would steamroll their interest without scant concern for the workers or the country.

- Bernama