KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang has accused the DAP of supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement on grounds that the Chinese dominate trade in Malaysia.
The DAP, however, has not made any public statements backing the controversial Pacific trade treaty and even announced last November that it would vote against the TPP if Putrajaya could not clarify the impact of the agreement on drug prices.
“The DAP agrees. Why? Because the Chinese control trade in Malaysia. It’s the Bumiputera who are tired with the TPPA,” Hadi said in a video posted on PAS’ Facebook page today.
The chief of the Islamist opposition party urged Malaysians to go to Kuala Lumpur to join the anti-TPP rally scheduled tomorrow.
Organisers of the “Bantah TPPA” movement have agreed to hold the protest at Padang Merbok in the city centre here.
Hadi said the US-driven TPP gave American companies an advantage over smaller local businesses and repeated concerns by TPP critics that US corporations could sue Malaysia if the free trade treaty involving a dozen Pacific countries came into force.
“In the liberal capitalist system that encourages competition, those who are fast will win. Since they’re faster than us in this liberal capitalist race, we’ll be left behind,” he said.
The TPP will be put to a vote in Parliament during a special session next Tuesday to Wednesday.
