Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has given International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed the mandate to safeguard Malaysia’s interests at the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations.

Via his Twitter account @NajibRazak today, the prime minister said he and the cabinet have given Mustapa the mandate and trust to negotiate the terms of the TPPA.

“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure the nation’s long-term economic interests are safeguarded and at the same time domestic interests are not compromised,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mustapa in a statement yesterday said the just-concluded TPPA negotiations agreed to take into consideration almost all of Malaysia’s concerns and sensitivities such as government procurement, state-owned enterprises and bumiputera issues.

Mustapa said elements of flexibility accorded to Malaysia included longer transition periods and differential treatment for the country’s sensitive areas, adding whether or not Malaysia becomes a party to the TPPA will be a collective decision.

“Once the complete and official text of the agreement is prepared, it will be in the public domain and presented to Parliament for debate.

“We will also hold full consultations with interested parties and the public,” he said.

- Bernama