Malaysian negotiators fully carried out mandate in TPP talks

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug 29 — Malaysian negotiators have fully carried out the mandate given by the government in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact here, said International Industry and Trade Ministry’s senior director J. Jayasiri.

In fact, he said, the mandate was furher emphasised by the Cabinet before the Malaysian team flew to Brunei for the 19^th round of negotiations.

“In all those areas that we have difficulties in and sensitivities that concern Malaysia, we propose alternatives during negotiations to deal with these areas or seek to accommodate some of those concerns that we have,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the 19^th round of talks on the free trade agreement.

In spite of that, Jayasiri, who is Malaysia’s chief negotiator, said it was still too soon to know whether negotiations will close soon.

“There is still a lot of work to be done. We have until tomorrow here to take stock of where we are and decide on further work programmes,” he said.

Negotiators have been working hard over a series of meetings held behind closed doors in order to meet the year-end deadline.

Malaysia is among 12 countries participating in the nine-day negotiations which will end tomorrow.

The other TPP member countries proposing a free trade bloc are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, Vietnam and Japan.

Source: Bernama