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?
Progress has been made in talks this week in San Francisco,
with constructive discussions on sticky issues such as greater access to Malaysia’s protected financial services and auto sector, Barbara Weisel, who is leading the U.S. team, told reporters here via videoconference.
<P>But both governments
must find creative ways to resolve differences, she said.</P>
<P>Malaysia has still
not decided if it will agree to loosen up its policy of awarding government tenders
to ethnic Malay-owned companies under an affirmative action program, Weisel said.
Labor and environmental issues are also holding up a deal, she said.</P><P>"We
believe the progress we have made this week has put us within striking distance
of concluding this agreement within the next few months," she said.</P><P>"But
there are significant challenges ahead. We will work intercessionally and hopefully
make progress in February. I think we will not conclude at the next round,"
she said. "I think we would need more than one more round."</P><P>The
San Francisco talks, the fourth round of negotiations since they began last June,
wind up Friday. Officials are to meet again in Malaysia next month.</P><P>Negotiators
are under time pressure because the the U.S. side wants to bring a proposed pact
to Washington by the end of March so that American lawmakers can review and vote
on it before President George W. Bush’s authority to negotiate trade deals that
require simple yea-or-nay Congressional approval expires end of June.</P><P>The
U.S. is also aiming to wrap up a trade deal with South Korea by the end of March.</P><P>Malaysia
is the United States’ 10th-largest trading partner, with $44 billion in two-way
trade in 2005. Officials say that figure will double by 2010 if the pact is signed.</P><P>Malaysia
has stressed it would not compromise in allocating government tenders to Malay
businesses, which has shut out not only domestic non-Malay companies but also
U.S. and other foreign firms from bidding for any government contracts.</P><P>The
policy is mandated by a 1970 preferential program that gives special privileges
in contracts, jobs and housing to Malays to help them close the gap with wealthier
minority Chinese. Malays make up about 60 percent of the country’s 26 million
people, Chinese account for a quarter and Indians about 10 percent.</P><P>Some
Malaysians have opposed a free trade agreement with the U.S., fearing it would
lead to job losses, erode workers’ rights and mark the end of cheap, generic drugs
now available to those with HIV/AIDS and other diseases.</P><P>Rice farmers are
also worried the import of duty-free U.S. rice under a deal will hurt their livelihood.</P><P>Malaysia’s
Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz has allayed fears, saying that rice and tobacco _
two of the country’s key agricultural products _ were excluded from the pact to
protect local farmers.</P><P>"We have never included rice and tobacco (in
any FTAs). We only discussed products that we exported," she was quoted as
saying by Friday’s Malay-language Utusan Malaysia.</P><P>Weisel said agricultural
products from both countries are complementary, and not competing with each other.</P><P>She
stressed an FTA would boost bilateral trade and investment, create higher paying
jobs in both countries and enhance each other’s competitiveness globally.</P><P>Weisel
dismissed concerns that the new Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress will be more
hostile than the previous Republican one, saying a "strong agreement"
will win approval.</P><P><I>Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4465779.html</I>
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