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?
Held at University Malaya Medical
Centre entrance in Petaling Jaya, 30 people gathered with banners and placards
warning the ill-effects of the trade talks.
<P>Coordinator of the protest Edward
Low told the crowd that life-saving medicines needed by HIV patients may become
unaffordable if the FTA is signed.</P><P>“US FTAs usually force more medicines
to be patented and when a medicine is patented, it means there is a monopoly and
so no other manufacturers can make that medicine.”</P><P>“That means
that the patent owner can charge as much as he likes because there is no competition,”
he said.</P><P>Before he could finish his statement, UMMC officers told the crowd
to disperse saying they had no right to be there.</P><P>Another coordinator A
Sivarajan then approached the officers saying the crowd will disperse as soon
as Low finishes his statement and leaflets were given out.</P><P><B>Lopsided provisions</B>
</P><P>He explained the effects of the FTA agreement based on the similar terms
drawn between the US and Thailand regarding patented medicines.</P><P>“The
provisions are alarming and lopsided. They would patent vital medicines for HIV/Aids
patients for five years making far too costly for them to buy,” he said.</P><P>He
stressed that they don’t want the government to sign the FTA with US and
ensure that public health is protected.</P><P>“Even if they decide to sign
it, they must consult Malaysians first,” he added.</P><P>Sivarajan also said
that three memorandums have been sent out to Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and
International Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Rafidah Aziz but to no avail.</P><P>“They
should at least let us know the terms of the negotiations. There is no transparency.
This has not been raised in Parliament and even our elected representatives don’t
know much about it,” he said.</P><P>UMMC public relations officer Yahaya
Abdul Hamid told malaysiakini that it was not appropriate for the protest to be
held at the hospital.</P><P>“Actually, this isn’t allowed, so we have
a right to tell them to leave. We don’t mean to chase them out but we have
to think about our patients,” he said.</P><P><B>Fourth round</B></P><P>The
protest is part of the on-going efforts against the Malaysia-US FTA including
a signature campaign in Kedah that won support from 20,000 fishermen and farmers,
held yesterday . </P><P>Malaysia entered into the fourth round of negotiations
on the FTA with the US Trade Representative (USTR) in San Francisco two days ago.</P><P>Despite
calls by non-governmental organisations and opposition parties for full disclosure,
the government has been mum on developments to date, although Miti has released
occasional bulletins.</P><P>Based on negotiations with other countries, US FTAs
usually force more medicines to be patented resulting in the abolition of generic
drugs.</P><P>With no generic drugs, the access to affordable life-saving Aids
drugs will translate to more deaths for PLHIV.</P><P>In Malaysia, figures in June
2006 show that there are 73,427 reported cases of HIV infection and 10,959 Aids
cases with a total of 8,334 deaths between1986 and June 2006.</P>
<P><I>Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/61962</I>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com