'Review nation's involvement in TPP talks'

KOTA BARU: The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) has urged the government to review the country's involvement in the
negotiations
for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) aimed at further
liberalising the economies of the Asia-pacific region.

DPMM
secretary-general Hanafee Yusoff said the pact, which is being pushed
by the US, would open the country's market to the region's 2.7 billion
people.

"A review would assuage Bumiputera entrepreneurs'
concerns in line with the Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) between Malaysia
and other countries," he told Bernama, here today.

Because the
TPP is a multi-lateral trade agreement among many countries, the
government should be more cautious as it could leave Bumiputera
enterprises vulnerable, Hanafee said.

It was reported earlier
that Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) chief executive officer Mohd
Nizam Mahshar had urged the government to withdraw from the TPP
negotiations, saying the pact could harm the nation's local businesses
especially Bumiputera-owned ones.

Talks on the TPP involving 12
countries -- the US, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Canada, Chile,
Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan -- have entered
the 17th round, and are expected to conclude by October.-- Bernama