KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 ― Unable to voice his disapproval over the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) at the Parliament today due to medical reasons, DAP MP Liew Chin Tong appealed to his fellow lawmakers through a statement to collectively reject the trade agreement.

Liew, who is recovering from Bell's Palsy, urged members of the parliament to refuse the signing of the TPP, saying that it would bring no good to the country’s economy.

“TPPA is not going to help Malaysia end the low wage, low skill and low productivity vicious cycle... the argument that TPPA will generate higher investment is fictional.

“Quality growth can only come when Malaysia is competing against Korea for technologies and not competing with Vietnam or Indonesia for cheap labour,” he said.

Saying that the signing of TPP might see some benefits in sectors like textile, automotive and electronic and electrical, Liew, however, pointed that the advantages would be insignificant.

“With climate change a serious challenge and the Paris Agreement slowly coming into implementation, the car industry won't go too far.

“And (do) you think US consumers would suddenly turn to Proton as their car of choice?” he added.

Liew, who is Kluang MP, also said there was no such thing as a transparent trade deal and that the TPP was of no difference.

“I won't go into the question of cost to Malaysia as many have written excellent analysis on medical cost, governments being sued by corporations, etc,” he said.

Given this, he said arguments by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed that Malaysia would lose out to its neighbouring region in attracting higher investment if TPP was not signed made no sense.

Parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide convene today in a two-day event to discuss the motion on passing the TPP at the Dewan Rakyat.

Twelve countries, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US, Vietnam and Malaysia, concluded the TPP negotiations in Atlanta on October 5 last year.

The TPP is a free trade agreement that has been negotiated by the US, Malaysia and 10 other nations as part of the larger Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership since 2010.