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  1. Negotiations

US-Malaysia


Having signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement on 10 May 2004, the US and Malaysia agreed in early 2006 to start negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. US negotiators indicated that they expected to conclude talks by the end of 2006 but that was not to be.

The Malaysian government has been putting up a fight on various issues such as government procurement (which Malaysia does not want to open to US participation) and its Bumiputra policy (giving special preferences to ethnic Malays). Social movements, on the other hand, reject the talks particularly in terms of the implications of a deal on access to medicines, intellectual property and Malaysia's autonomy to set policies. The negotiations have stalled since 2009, and are now effectively on ice.

last update: May 2012

Photo: Third World Network

The people have decided! The Cabinet is still pondering!
16-Mar-2007    
While a group of us were waiting anxiously at the entrance of Prime Minister's office at about 8.45 am today, suddenly we heard a loud chanting in the air and then we realized about 500 over people were walking from the Putrajaya mosque towards where we are standing and made one full circle around the PM office before the crowd stopped at the front gate of the PM office.
About 200 in protest over Malaysia-US free trade deal
15-Mar-2007     AFP
About 200 people opposed to a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States gathered for a rare protest outside the Malaysian prime minister's office Wednesday.
CAP worries FTA threatens GM food labelling
13-Mar-2007    
Consumers Association of Penang is extremely concerned and anxious that Malaysia's Biosafety Bill and an amendment to the Food Regulations are now threatened by proposals made in the negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United States.
Malaysia still fine-tuning issues related to FTA with US
8-Mar-2007    
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says Malaysia is still fine tuning issues arising from negotiations to clinch a free trade agreement with the United States with the ultimate objective of bringing benefits to the people and the country.
Illegal logging not an issue in FTA talks with US: Anifah
7-Mar-2007    
Illegal logging is not an issue in the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Malaysia and the US, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Anifah Aman said.
Cabinet to state its stand on M'sia-US FTA issue
5-Mar-2007    
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry would be presenting to the Cabinet this Wednesday the stand taken by all the respective ministries and agencies involved in the Malaysia-US Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Out of the cage: FTA must promote fair, not free trade
5-Mar-2007     New Straits Times
I was travelling in the northern regions recently and casually asked Haji Manaf, a padi farmer and Umno stalwart in his late 50s, if he had heard of the Malaysia-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which is currently being negotiated. He said he had read about it in the Malay newspapers but really didn't understand what it was all about.
Too big a price to pay for an FTA
1-Mar-2007     New Straits Times
Letter from the Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries contesting the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce's claim that that the country's generic medicine manufacturers will do better if the Malaysia-US free trade agreement is signed.
Group calls for halt to US-Malaysia FTA negotiations
28-Feb-2007    
Malaysia should stop all negotiations with the US on a free trade agreement (FTA) as it has failed to conduct an assessment on the implications of such an agreement on the people, a grouping of concerned Malaysians urged on Tuesday.
M'sia pressured to ease up on GM food regulations
28-Feb-2007     Malaysiakini.com
The Malaysian government has been urged not to bend to US pressure, under their bilateral FTA talks, to scrap its proposed laws that would bring in mandatory labeling of genetically-modified (GM) foods.