Putrajaya will sign TPPA because leaders don’t care, says former minister

Tan Sri Sanusi Junid says Putrajaya will sign the TPPA as leaders do not care about the interests of the people. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, October 6, 2015.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will be signed by Malaysia as leaders only care about being "friends" with the United States and not about the interests of their own people, former minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said today.

The Umno veteran said that current leaders were "drowning" and holding on to "anything and everything" to save themselves.

"If someone is drowning, he will reach for the wood, he will touch even faeces, no longer thinking about people's interests. If they talk about interests of the race, we can only listen to them," he said during a dialogue session at Karangkraf in Shah Alam today.

Sanusi said that due to that, Putrjaaya will still sign the agreement despite International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed claiming that it was not yet certain if the government would until it was debated in Parliament.

"Everyone says this is not good. But from the beginning itself I have said that they will surely sign it. Because they want to be friends with the US," Sanusi, who was also former Kedah menteri besar, said.

"If we want to make friends with those who have weapons there are no benefits. But if you ask these politicians they will claim there are plenty of benefits.

"I used to be a politician too. But now I have repented."

If Putrajaya was truly concerned about the people, it would not sign the agreement, he added.

The text of the TPPA was finalised yesterday, but the agreement will only be formally signed by after it is brought to Parliament.

Critics have warned that signing TPPA would, among other issues, lead to a price hike in generic medicines in Malaysia and also affect the interests of local businesses.

The government, however, has so far never made public any cost-benefit analysis on the trade deal.

"If they are brave they would not sign, if they are scared they well. If they want to keep the US happy, then they would sign it," Sanusi said.

- TMI