‘More work to be done to get best deal for Malaysians’

DANANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak says Malaysia has much to do after the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) countries revived the free trade pact.

Trade ministers from 11 countries yesterday reached a deal to proceed with the TPP that was in doubt after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s no-show prevented TPP leaders from meeting on Friday afternoon to endorse a plan.

The 11 TPP ministers and their chief negotiators did it by suspending 20 provisions of the deal, some of which related to protecting labour rights and the environment, although most dealt with intellectual property.

The TPP has been renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP.

Speaking after the conclusion of the Apec summit, Najib said there was more work to be done to ensure that Malaysia got the best deal for its people.

“(Once the TPP is signed) there’s a moral commitment among the 11 member countries after this.

“There will be work programmes to be done, and Malaysia, of course, continues to maintain that we have to address our sensitive social economic policies, such as Bumiputera preferences and measures for public health.”

Senior ministry officials said Malaysia, together with other member countries, had succeeded in getting the suspension of some of the provisions in the original agreement.

This included provisions related to medicine, particularly the extension of patent terms and protection of biologics and intellectual properties.

TPP ministers, in a statement, said an accord was reached on “core elements” of the pact.

“Ministers are pleased to announce that they have agreed on core elements of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership,” the statement said.