TPPA: I'm worried about the welfare of Bumiputeras - Shafie Apdal

Semporna MP Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal today admitted that he is worried about the welfare of the Bumiputeras if the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is signed.

He also questioned how confident is the country in terms of entering and remaining in the international market.

However, he said his concern does not mean he is against the TPPA but stressed that many issues need to be thoroughly looked into.

He said it is also necessary to look into Malaysia’s level of preparedness from the all levels.

"The MITI report states that Malaysia's participation is in line with national interests however domestic issues involving Bumiputera, rights of workers, competition and intellectual property are matters that cannot be viewed in a light manner," he said when debating TPPA at a Parliament special sitting today.

He stressed that it was important for Malaysia to learn from the experiences of countries that had dealt with the United States economically, like Mexico and Canada

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"In Mexico, there is a surplus of imports. About 1.3 million Mexicans are jobless because of this," he said.

"I admit there are many more countries which has not signed the agreement like the Philippines, Thailand and China which has indicated interest in joining," he added.

He said the government should go through all possibilities to ensure Malaysia gets a fair deal.