Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
Director of Monitoring Sustainability
of Globalisation Charles Santiago said Malaysians should discard the tempting
illusion that the FTA will be a saviour of the non-Malay community, as the impact
will be felt by all.
<P>The government enters the fourth round of negotiations
with the US Trade Representative today. Critics believe that the FTA will result
in an increase in drug prices, job losses and the sidelining of local industries,
among other problems. </P><P>Unlike Thailand, however, which saw angry protests
against a proposed FTA with the US, opposition to the US-Malaysia negotiations
has been confined to a handful of activist organisations and a sprinkling of members
from opposition parties.</P><P>Santiago attributed the lack of public interest
to the grievances felt by minority communities against the NEP, among other policies
weighted in favour of the majority Malays in education and business opportunities.</P><P>“They
can’t (effect change) through the ballot box and democratic process. So if the
Americans can do Malaysians a favour, hey, why not – this is their approach,”
said Santiago in an interview with malaysiakini.</P><P>“I think what they’re
saying is wrong, because even non-Malays are going to get hit badly by the FTA.
They don’t realise this … In the long run, it’s going to hurt all Malaysians.”</P><P>Santiago
said the FTA with the US is not about promoting trade in goods and services but
is aimed at controlling trade and ensuring US investors’ interests are upheld
and protected above even the interests of the people.</P><P>Trade between Malaysia
and the US has mainly been between firms within the same industries or between
companies within the same firm, said Santiago citing the United Nations ‘World
Investment Report’.</P><P>“We exported 43.9 percent of our manufactured
products to the US – electrical goods, machineries, and audio and television products
– and imported 57.3 percent of similar manufactured products from the US,”
said Santiago.</P><P>“(So) what is the basis of this FTA, when trade is mainly
between companies in the same industry or within a company?”</P><P>Santiago
said governments of developing countries are rushing to attract investments by
increasingly compromising on tools that have been used to protect national interests
and the interests of citizens.</P><P>“Ten years ago, we offered cheap labour
and political stability. But now that is not enough. Now (investors) want the
government to sign over its rights so that they can say, ‘We have control over
your policies,” he said.</P><P><B>‘N</B><B>o accountability’</B></P><P>He
reiterated fears that the price of medicines will increase with the extension
of patent periods and other restrictions against production of local generic medicine.</P><P>Citing
Bangkok’s roll-back of capital controls after it initially sought to prevent investors
from betting on the baht, Santiago said Malaysia’s announcement that it would
not impose currency controls suggests the power of foreign investors over monetary
and fiscal policies. </P><P>“In Thailand, it was Japanese and American money
– to whom are these people accountable? Nobody. They’re only accountable
to their own profit and loss accounts. They can ravage economies, they can destroy
millions of jobs, which they have done,” he claimed.</P><P>He said the terms
of the US-Malaysia FTA would subject the government’s ‘policy space’
to the dictates of foreign investor interests.</P><P>Malaysia would also be required
to treat US companies on equal or no less favourable terms as local companies,
including government-linked companies.</P><P>“It’s like giving foreign nationals
the same rights as citizens. The government usually scoffs at the idea, but it
will become a reality if a FTA with the US is put in place. The government won’t
do this for migrant workers from Indonesia (for example), but they would do it
for foreign companies that bring in money.”</P><P>Although foreign direct
investments (FDI) have declined, the answer in making Malaysia more attractive
lies not in giving away more of the rights and the welfare of the people to investors
and multi-national companies, he said.</P><P>“If you want to be competitive,
you have to put your money in the development of new products and processes and
in the education system … that can produce creative and critical thinking people,
support small and medium industries, develop infrastructure that lowers the cost
of production and allows for faster movement of goods and services,” he added.</P><P><I>Source:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/61784</I>
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