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Malaysia don’t be deceived by US Bill to “Fast Track” TPP deal

  • Publication Date | April 17, 2015
  • Document Type | Letter to the Editor
  • Programmes | Development & Planning
  • Issues | Trade & Investment
  • Tags | Fast Track, TPP, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, United Nations, United States of America
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The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) cautions Malaysia not to be deceived by US introduction of the Fast Track Bill.  Malaysia is reminded not to make further concessions in the TPP without fast-track authority actually being granted by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

The last technical round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations will be held next week in the USA.  Malaysia is negotiating the TPP with 11 other countries including the USA and it is scheduled to be concluded at negotiations by Ministers of Trade next month. 

The USA does not have fast-track authority at the moment, which means that one committee chair or a few senators in the U.S. Congress can reopen the TPP text after it is concluded in order to demand more concessions from Malaysia (for example stronger intellectual property protection that would keep medicines and textbooks more expensive for longer or removal of Malaysia’s proposed safeguard for tobacco control measures) as a condition of passing the TPP.   

As the TPP negotiations reached their final stages, concessions have to be made on very sensitive issues. Before making these concessions, some TPP countries such as Canada and Chile have wisely insisted on the USA having fast-track authority so that they can be more confident that they will not be asked to make further concessions, beyond their red lines in order to pass the U.S. Congress.   

Malaysia does not appear to be insisting on the U.S. having fast-track authority before it makes its final concessions in the TPP negotiations next month.  This means that (unlike other TPP countries) Malaysia is naively willing to give even more concessions to each individual U.S. congressional committee chair and US senators, in a one-sided negotiation where the U.S. gives nothing, in order for the TPP to pass the U.S. Congress. 

Yesterday, a fast-track bill was proposed in the U.S. Congress, however it has no chance of passing both the House and the Senate (as it needs to become law) before the TPP negotiations are expected to be concluded next month.  This is because:  

  • only 2-5% of the bills that are introduced to the U.S. Congress become laws 
  • To pass the U.S. House of Representatives, 218 votes are needed.  

o   The bill proposed yesterday only makes insignificant changes to the fast track bill that was ‘dead on arrival’ in the House when it was introduced in 2014. At the time, only eight out of 201 House Democrats supported the bill (it was even opposed by the Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi) and House Republican leadership could not count more than 100 members as “yes” votes.

o   This year, ‘The Wall Street Journal reported in March that between 50 and 60 Republicans could buck Boehner and Obama on fast-track. That would require Democrats to deliver about 32 votes.’ But only about 15 House Democrats currently support fast-track which means that there are not enough votes for the fast-track authority to pass.

o   There is so much opposition to this fast-track bill that they could not find a single Democrat willing to sponsor it in the House.

o   Key democrats are opposing the fast-track bill including:

§  Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin who issued a six page list of the problems with the proposed fast-track bill

§  a top Democratic member of the House Representative Chris Van Hollen, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee

§  Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and his replacement Senator Chuck Schumer

§  The influential Senator Elizabeth Warren 

  • ‘Many U.S. presidents have had difficulty obtaining a Fast Track grant from Congress. Congress denied President Bill Clinton Fast Track authority for six of his eight years in office despite Clinton’s official requests in 1995, 1997 and 1998. The next president, Republican George W. Bush, spent two years and enormous political capital to obtain Fast Track in 2002 even though he enjoyed a Republican majority in Congress. However Bush’s attempts to obtain additional Fast Track authority were rebuffed by Congress in 2007 and 2008.  

Given the above, Malaysia must not be hoodwinked by the mere proposal of a fast-track bill.  Malaysia must not make further concessions in the TPP without fast-track authority actually being granted by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. 

Most importantly Malaysia should not sign the TPPA since the cost-benefit analysis by the United Nations economist shows that Malaysia will actually lose in the TPP chapters where it is supposed to gain and the TPP costs are heavy and ongoing for all sectors of Malaysian society.

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS

President

Consumers’ Association of Penang & Sahabat Alam Malaysia

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Testimonials

Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah satu badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang telah sekian lama berjuang mempertahan kelestarian alam. Ia juga mendidik masyarakat tentang pentingnya kebersamaan dalam pemikiran dan tindakan agar alam ini dapat kita wariskan kepada generasi hadapan dalam keadaan yang elok dan terpelihara. Dalam pada itu juga SAM giat membantu golongan nelayan pantai dalam memperjuangkan hak-hak mereka sehinggalah tertubuhnya Persatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING). Nelayan pantai sepenuh masa ini dididik oleh SAM sehingga mereka mampu memainkan peranan sebagai pemimpin nelayan yang meneruskan kesinambungan memperjuangkan hak-hak nelayan pantai lainnya. Sebagai contoh SAM telah berjaya menyedarkan masyarakat nelayan keperluan menjaga hutan paya bakau untuk kebaikan hasil tangkapan nelayan itu sendiri.
Jamaluddin Mohamad Bualik
Jamaluddin Mohamad BualikPersatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Jaringan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING)
During the 1980s, I used to read about the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) in the news. After retirement, some time in 2001, while lazing around, I read news about the construction of a carbon in leach plant using sodium cyanide to extract gold in Bukit Koman. My friends and I visited CAP and we were introduced to SAM and her legal team. We discussed the details of filing a case against the gold mining company and the department of environment with Ms Meenakshi Raman and her legal team. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between lawyers from SAM and many of us from Bukit Koman. We had many ups and downs in our struggle to shut down the gold mine that was causing a nuisance in our village. But, as a community we never gave up because SAM had our backs.
Hue Fui How
Hue Fui HowSecretary, Bukit Koman Ban Cyanide in Goldmining Action Committee (BCAC)
Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah sebuah NGO yang memperjuangkan nasib masyarakat luar bandar khasnya. SAM menerima aduan-aduan masyarakat dan menyelesaikan masalah yang dihadapi. SAM telah mewujudkan ramai aktivis-aktivis sosial dan alam sekitar. Pada era 1980 dan 90an SAM sangat dihormati oleh masyarakat dan agensi kerajaan. Apabila media sosial menguasai maklumat maka SAM pun terkesan dan masalah masyarakat terus disalurkan dengan pelbagai cara. SAM perlu mewujudkan aktivis-aktivis pelapis yang muda untuk terus membantu masyarakat. SAM juga perlu membuat perubahan supaya banyak turun kelapangan dan jangan mengharapkan laporan media sahaja. Tingkatkan prestasi sebagaimana pada zaman kegemilangan SAM di era 80-90an.
Che Ani Mt Zain
Che Ani Mt Zain
SAM taught me the importance of social activism and the role it plays in upholding the rights of people and the protection of the environment. In my experience, SAM has never hesitated to speak up in defence of people and their environment, and has gone the extra mile to champion their rights, by helping communities take their battles to the higher ups and even to the courts.
Jessica Binwani
Jessica BinwaniPublic/Private Interest Lawyer
Semenjak kami kenal SAM, banyak pengalaman dan pengetahuan yg kami dapat. Kami telah belajar cara membuat baja asli daripada SAM. Semenjak itu, bermulalah minat kami dalam aktiviti pertanian. Dengan memperolehi kemahiran dalam membuat baja asli dan penanaman lestari, kami juga telah dapat menambahkan pendapatan sampingan kami. Ini lebih baik daripada tanah kami terbiar dan tidak diusahakan. Terima kasih SAM kerana sudi memberi bantuan dan tunjuk ajar kepada Persatuan kami.
Chedo Anak Nyuwen
Chedo Anak NyuwenPersatuan Penduduk Sg Buri, Bakong, Marudi
My journey with SAM started when her community organisers took me to the meet the paddy farmers of Kedah, connecting my growing interest in environmental law with our people who struggle to work the land in the face of pollution, replacement of traditional seeds with commercial hybrids and their accompanying chemical package of fertilisers and weedicides. I then had the honour to work with SAM in the struggle for the rights of the native communities of Sarawak, in defence of their forests from massive logging and destructive mega-projects. In every issue that SAM takes up, she combines rigorous research with the realities and voices of the communities to advocate for policies and laws that care for people and nature. From the courts to the elected legislators to policy makers and implementers and to the United Nations, SAM walks side by side with the communities in Malaysia. How can I not be inspired by the vision and passion of the generations of women and men who coalesce to form SAM?
Chee Yoke Ling
Chee Yoke Lingstudent of SAM, Executive Director of Third World Network, SAM’s sister organisation

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Tel: +604 827 6930
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Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Headquarters)
No. 1, Jalan Joki, 11400 Penang,
Malaysia
Tel: +604 827 6930
Fax: +604 827 6932

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Marudi Office)
129A, First Floor,
Jalan Tuanku Taha,
P.O.Box 216,
98058 Marudi, Baram, Sarawak,
Malaysia
Tel & Fax: +6085 758 973

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