CPTPP will come into effect for Malaysia on Nov 29, says Azmin
Azmin says that besides Malaysia, all other member countries of the CPTPP do not have a transition period for their earnings threshold value. (Photo by Mohd Suhaimi Mohamed Yusuf/The Edge)
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): The ratified Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will come into effect for Malaysia on Nov 29, according to International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
The senior minister said in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 6) that all legal amendments related to the CPTPP have been completed.
“I want to state here that some exceptions and also flexibility related to the rights of Bumiputera and local players under the CPTPP have been obtained,” he said.
He added that besides Malaysia, all other member countries of the CPTPP do not have a transition period for their earnings threshold value.
“And this is the success we have achieved, may I report here, as the transition period for Malaysia for the service sector is nine years. For the goods sector, it's seven years, and for the construction sector, it's 20 years,” Azmin said.
“Since the transition period is so long, the ministry has discussed with the Ministry of Finance to see what specific modules to prepare local players, especially Bumiputeras, to be ready to participate in the CPTPP.”
He said that the ministries are also engaging with the Chamber of Commerce to work on the modules.
“The commitment of Malaysia related to this government procurement is limited to the federal level only. It does not involve the states.
"The state level has already been excluded from the scope of government procurement, meaning that state governments can continue their existing procurement policy without any changes even though Malaysia has ratified and enforced the CPTPP,” he explained.
Azmin was replying to Bukit Bendera Member of Parliament Wong Hon Wai and Jempol MP Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Sharif, who had asked about the status and progress of the CPTPP.
In regard to the progress for other free trade agreements (FTAs), Azmin said that negotiations on the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) may resume.
“Through a meeting with the EU in July, both parties have agreed to hold a stocktaking meeting in mid-October to determine the direction of the negotiations,” Azmin said.
He said that the negotiations have been delayed since 2012, following the failure for both parties to reach an agreement on sensitive issues, such as government procurement, Bumiputera policy and intellectual property rights.
In addition, he said Malaysia is also actively involved in negotiations to upgrade the existing regional FTAs for the Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), and the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).
“The upgrade of these agreements, among others, involves the improvement of certain chapters, including additional liberalisation for the goods and services sector, and the proposed introduction of new provisions related to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” he said.
“It also involves trade and sustainable development, government procurement, digitisation and automation of customs procedures, as well as other initiatives related to green technology and the digital economy.”
He said the agreements being negotiated are expected to provide additional benefits to the business community, including MSMEs.
The negotiations also aim to ensure that these agreements remain relevant and are able to address the challenges of an uncertain global economic environment, Azmin said.
We’re not headed towards a currency crisis, says Finance Minister
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia will not take any drastic intervention to manage the value of the ringgit, says Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
“Although Bank Negara is not targeting any exchange rate, it is striving so that there will be no drastic or extreme change to the value of the ringgit.
“This action will assist businesses to plan, while allowing for better implementation of business decisions and investments,” he said in reply to a question by Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Wong had wanted to know the measures being taken by the government through Bank Negara to mitigate the risks involving foreign currency exchange rates.
He said that one US dollar was worth RM2.122 during the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis, but the ringgit is now trading at 4.651 to the dollar currently.
Tengku Zafrul said the nation’s economic fundamentals remained positive despite the challenges to the global economy brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He cited the introduction of dynamic hedging as an example of reducing risks for those in the currency market and business.
He added that this included attracting investors to the local bond market while improving the foreign currency exchange.
“Daily foreign exchange transactions continued to increase to an average of US$13.3bil to date, compared with US$11.3bil in 2021, based on two-way transactions.”
Tengku Zafrul also said that the Malaysian economy is not headed for a crisis because the situation during the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis was different.
“Our currency dropped almost 54% in 1997, with the lowest exchange rate hitting RM4.88 to the dollar.
“The nation’s share market was also badly affected, where the then Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange fell by some 800 points in just two months from 1,077 in June 1997 to 262.7 in September,” he said, describing it as the worst economic crisis ever faced by the nation, resulting in 102,000 Malaysians losing their jobs.
He noted that Bank Negara had also raised the interest rate to 11% to overcome the ringgit’s devaluation and to control inflation.
He said the situation is different now as the nation’s economy is more diversified and resilient.
“To date, our permanent account remains positive, with a total of RM3bil in the first quarter and RM4.4bil for the second quarter.
“As such, although we are facing some challenges due to external factors beyond the control of the government, our nation isn’t facing or headed towards an economic or currency crisis,” he said, adding that several other nations are also facing economic challenges due to current global events.
Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) sebelum ini dilaporkan mencadangkan penutupan operasi pejabat Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) di Malaysia. - Gambar AFP
KUALA LUMPUR - Menteri Luar Negeri, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah diminta memberi kenyataan di Parlimen susulan cadangan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) menutup operasi pejabat Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) di Malaysia.
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera, Wong Hon Wai berkata, cadangan penutupan uniteral agensi UNCHR tersebut harus dibincang dan dibahaskan memandangkan ia memberi implikasi besar terhadap usaha diplomatik antarabangsa, selain menjejaskan nama baik negara.
Katanya, Parlimen harus dijadikan tempat membahaskan dasar berkenaan pelarian dan mekanisma untuk mereka dari segi kemanusiaan serta keselamatan negara supaya satu titik imbang boleh dicapai.
Wong Hon Wai
“Malaysia tidak boleh sewenang-wenangnya menutup secara unilateral pejabat satu agensi Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) tanpa rundingan, selain ketika angka dan isu pelarian masih dalam peringkat yang genting.
“Sekiranya angka pelarian sudah kurang ke tahap minimum, mungkin itu satu justifikasi untuk UNHCR beroperasi melalui ibu pejabat serantau dari Bangkok,” katanya menerusi hantaran di Facebook.
Beliau berkata demikian bagi mengulas kenyataan Ketua Pengarah MKN, Datuk Rodzi Md Saad berkenaan cadangan MKN untuk menutup operasi pejabat UNCHR di negara ini dan mengambil alih pengurusan isu pelarian.
Hon Wai menegaskan, kerajaan perlu ingat bahawa Malaysia dipilih sebagai Ahli Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu untuk penggal 2022 hingga 2024.
Justeru, menurutnya, Malaysia mempunyai obligasi moral untuk mengutamakan isu hak asasi manusia dalam negara dan serantau.
“Bagaimanapun, UNHCR mempunyai 134 pejabat di seluruh dunia dan di sesetengah negara yang tidak mempunyai isu pelarian serius, kehadiran UNHCR diperlukan sebagai satu agensi antarabangsa yang menjurus kepada bantuan kemanusiaan serta koordinasi serantau,” katanya. – Getaran, 8 September 2022
Closing UNHCR office here will hurt Malaysia’s reputation: DAP lawmaker
Foreign minister must explain rationale behind closure, urges Wong Hon Wai
Wong Hon Wai says closing the United Nations High Commission for Refugees here would leave refugees vulnerable and have a big impact on Malaysia’s international relations. – Wong Hon Wai Facebook pic, September 7, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah should explain to Parliament why the government wants to shut the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) agency here, a DAP lawmaker said.
Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai said doing so would leave refugees vulnerable and have a big impact on Malaysia’s international relations.
“It will also affect the good reputation of Malaysia, which was elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2022-2024, and has a moral obligation to prioritise human rights issues in the country and in the region.
“I urge the foreign minister to give a ministerial statement in Parliament which will convene on October 3. Parliament is the place to debate policies on refugees as well as mechanisms to deal with their issues in a humane manner while balancing the needs of national security,” Wong said in a statement today.
Wong was referring to a news report in Berita Harian quoting National Security Council director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad, who said the government had long-term plans to close UNHCR’s operations here.
However, Rodzi said the government will only do so once state agencies improve their capacity to manage refugee issues.
He also said the intention was for Malaysia to handle refugee issues on its own “without outside interference”.
In July, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin announced a tracking and tracing system to keep tabs on refugees’ whereabouts, which drew condemnation from migrant and refugee rights groups.
The system, called TRIS, would use the database on UNHCR cardholders and asylum seekers. – The Vibes, September 7, 2022
Nak tutup pejabat UNHCR? Bincang di Parlimen dulu, kata MP
Cadangan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) untuk menutup operasi pejabat Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) di Malaysia perlu dibincangkan di Parlimen dahulu sebelum dilaksanakan, kata seorang pemimpin DAP.
Dalam satu kenyataan, Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera, Wong Hon Wai mengingatkan Ketua Pengarah MKN, Rodzi Md Saad bahawa Malaysia masih menjadi ahli Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi penggal 2022-2024.
Oleh itu, Malaysia mempunyai kewajipan moral untuk mengutamakan isu hak asasi manusia dalam negara dan juga serantau,” katanya.
“Saya meminta menteri luar negari untuk memberikan satu kenyataan menteri di Parlimen yang akan mula bersidang pada 3 Oktober 2022 berkenaan cadangan MKN ini memandangkan cadangan penutupan unilateral satu agensi Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu seperti UNHCR akan mempunyai implikasi besar kepada usaha diplomatik antarabangsa Malaysia dan menjejaskan nama baik Malaysia di mata dunia.
Wong Hon Wai , Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera
“Parlimen harus dijadikan tempat untuk membahaskan dasar berkenaan pelarian serta mekanisme masa ini untuk pelarian dari segi kemanusiaan dan keselamatan negara supaya satu titik imbang boleh dicapai,” katanya.
Semalam, Rodzi dilaporkan berkata kerajaan perlu mempertimbangkan cadangan untuk menutup pejabat UNHCR di Malaysia.
Katanya, Malaysia akan menguruskan situasi pelarian dengan lebih baik dengan menghapuskan campur tangan asing dan agensinya sedang mengkaji mekanisme yang sesuai untuk melaksanakannya sebelum mengesyorkannya kepada kerajaan.
Bagaimanapun, Rodzi menjelaskan ini tidak akan berlaku dalam masa terdekat kerana fungsi agensi berkaitan masih perlu dipertingkatkan.
Rodzi Md Saad, Ketua Pengarah MKN
Sehubungan itu, Wong berkata kerajaan tidak boleh sewenang-wenangnya menutup agensi PBB berkenaan tanpa sebarang rundingan, lebih-lebih lagi ketika jumlah pelarian di negara ini masih tinggi.
Menurut laporan, terdapat lebih 184,000 pelarian dan pencari suaka berdaftar PBB di negara itu.
“Sekiranya angka pelarian sudah kurang ke tahap minimum, mungkin itu satu justifikasi untuk UNHCR beroperasi dari ibu pejabat serantau dari Bangkok.
“Walau bagaimanapun, UNHCR mempunyai pejabat di 134 negara di seluruh dunia dan di sesetengah negara yang tidak mempunyai isu pelarian yang serius, kehadiran pejabat UNHCR diperlukan sebagai satu agensi antarabangsa yang menjurus kepada bantuan kemanusiaan dan koordinasi serantau,” kata Wong.
Untuk rekod, Malaysia bukan pihak dalam Konvensyen PBB 1951 Berkaitan Status Pelarian.
Undang-undang tempatan juga tidak membezakan antara pendatang ekonomi tanpa izin dan pencari suaka.
Cadangan menutup operasi pejabat UNHCR wajar dibawa ke Parlimen
Foto hiasan
KUALA LUMPUR: Ahli Parlimen pembangkang menggesa Menteri Luar, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah memberi satu kenyataan di Parlimen yang mula bersidang pada 3 Oktober ini, bagi mengulas cadangan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) untuk menutup operasi pejabat Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) di sini.
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera, Wong Hon Wai berkata, ini memandangkan cadangan penutupan unilateral satu agensi Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) seperti UNHCR akan mempunyai implikasi besar kepada usaha diplomatik antarabangsa Malaysia dan menjejaskan nama baik negara di mata dunia.
"Parlimen harus dijadikan tempat untuk membahaskan dasar berkenaan pelarian serta mekanisme masa ini untuk pelarian dari segi kemanusiaan dan keselamatan negara supaya satu titik imbang boleh dicapai.
"Malaysia tidak boleh sewenang-wenangnya menutup secara unilateral pejabat satu agensi Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) tanpa rundingan dan dalam ketika angka pelarian dan isu pelarian masih dalam peringkat yang genting.
"Sekiranya angka pelarian sudah kurang ke tahap minimum, mungkin itu satu justifikasi untuk UNHCR beroperasi dari ibu pejabat serantau dari Bangkok," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di Facebook hari ini.
Katanya, UNHCR mempunyai pejabat di 134 negara dan di sesetengahnya yang tidak mempunyai isu pelarian serius, kehadiran pejabat UNHCR diperlukan sebagai satu agensi antarabangsa yang menjurus kepada bantuan kemanusiaan dan koordinasi serantau.
"Saya perlu mengingatkan kerajaan bahawa Malaysia dipilih sebagai Ahli Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu untuk penggal 2022 – 2024 dan mempunyai obligasi moral untuk mengutamakan isu hak asasi manusia dalam negara dan juga serantau," katanya.
Sementara itu, Saifuddin yang cuba dihubungi bagi mendapatkan reaksi mengenai cadangan MKN itu belum memberi sebarang respon balas setakat ini.
Media semalam melaporkan, Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) bercadang menutup pejabat Suruhanjaya Tinggi UNHCR susulan badan dunia itu seolah-olah tidak menghormati pihak kuasa tempatan dalam mengeluarkan kad agensi itu kepada 'pelarian'.
Ketua pengarah MKN, Rodzi Md Saad, berkata antara tarikan pendatang asing tanpa izin (PATI) ke Malaysia kerana kemudahan diperoleh dan mereka mencari perlindungan dengan UNHCR, yang mana kad dikeluarkan tanpa merujuk pihak berkuasa termasuk polis dan Jabatan Imigresen.
‘Inefficient’ Home Ministry placing refugee resettlement at risk – Santiago
The Home Ministry’s move to introduce a refugee tracking system and call for the shutdown of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Malaysia is putting the success of refugees’ resettlement at risk, says Klang MP Charles Santiago.
Based on the ministry’s track record in the management of migrant workers in the country, Santiago described the Home Ministry as “highly inefficient”, adding that resettlement of refugees was a very rigorous process and receiving countries must accept the system of scrutiny.
“I have not seen any other country shut down the UNHCR office and Malaysia does not have the capacity for such a massive effort.
“Despite having migrant workers in Malaysia for more than 20 years, we still don’t know how many migrants are in the country, documented or undocumented.
“There is no system in place that can give us this information on any given day, but the UNHCR is in touch with the refugee communities in Malaysia,” he said.
Klang MP Charles Santiago
Yesterday, National Security Council (NSC) director-general Rodzi Md Saad said the agency was mulling to shut down the UNHCR office in Malaysia.
Rodzi also said local authorities can better manage the refugee situation without foreign interference.
However, he clarified that the plan would not happen soon as local agencies needed further improvements.
Earlier today, Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai reminded the government to discuss such matters at the Parliament instead of making arbitrary decisions.
He added that any decision to close a UN agency would not bode well for the country’s image.
Hurling brickbats at Rodzi, Santiago said the abuse of the migrant communities in Malaysia by the government and their employers was scandalous.
Santiago also called Rodzi to explain his accusations of “foreign interference” in UNHCR’s refugee management.
“What exactly is ‘foreign interference’ and how did that ‘foreign interference’ help in the management of refugees in Malaysia?
“The government must be transparent and explain this accusation,” he added.
In July, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin announced that the government had approved the Tracking Refugees Information System (Tris) and that all refugees and asylum seekers must register themselves on the system.
According to an Al Jazeera report on Aug 11, the information system was implemented by a private company, Barisan Mahamega Sdn Bhd, appointed by the ministry.
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudd
It was chaired by a former head of the Special Branch, Akhil Bulat, who is also the company’s largest shareholder.
Refugee groups like the Alliance of Chin Refugees, however, fear Tris was a "trap" and are concerned over data security, Al Jazeera reported.
Money-making scheme
Santiago, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Fundamental Liberty and Constitutional Rights pointed out that the ministry’s blatant “burning of its bridges” with UNHCR suggested that there was a hidden interest.
“They have already privatised the job to a company and they may want to privatise more of this effort to other crony companies,” he claimed.
Santiago demanded public scrutiny on the matter and urged the government to be transparent in the process.
“The present system may not be perfect but the forward-looking strategy should be to talk to UNHCR if you have issues on how cards were being issued, instead of shutting them down.
“We should also be focusing on a system that would allow refugees to seek employment in Malaysia,” he noted.
