Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has rejected former Umno minister Rafidah Aziz's appeal to not politicise the just-concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

"I think Rafidah is not right to say that. The TPPA is an economic deal, but in the end it is a political decision," Ibrahim told reporters today.

The agreement will not only involve the economy, he said, but also national policies.

It could also potentially require amendments to laws and even the Federal Constitution, he added.

The public is not interested in politicising the TPPA issue, he said, but there is no denying that it will be a political decision.

Rafidah ( photo ), the former international trade and industry minister, yesterday cautioned the people against politicising the TPPA issue.

"If we don't politicise it, I tell you, it (TPPA) will be beneficial," she said.

Rafidah also said that the officers sent to negotiate the agreement would know better as they have all the "facts and figures".

Negotiations 'limited' to specific fields

Ibrahim rebutted this, saying that the officers would only have the "facts and figures" in their own field.

"Yeah, officers will have the facts and figures, but only in their own field. They don't look at this from other aspects. This is why all parties have to be involved," he insisted.

He said there will be an NGO summit soon, where he, as the spokesperson for Majlis NGO-NGO Malaysia, will discuss the TPPA with the others.

They will also invite Rafidah so that they can debate this issue "intellectually", he added.

The Majlis NGO-NGO Malaysia announced today that it is rejecting the TPPA, and will be pushing for the government to withdraw from the trade agreement.

This is because, Ibrahim said, they doubt that the bumiputera agenda will be defended in the TPPA.

'American agenda'

The TPPA is a sweeping trade agreement with 12 countries with negotiations having concluded on Oct 5 in Atlanta, US.

The agreement is supposed to be tabled in Parliament in two months, as it still requires a final agreement from the government, according to International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed.

Ibrahim said said he thinks the government's eagerness to push through the TPPA is suspicious, especially with it being criticised so heavily.

"Logically, I think there must be pressure from the US.

"If the government rushes to sign this (TPPA)and there is no transparency, it can then be confirmed to be a US agenda," he said.