Leaked Draft Confirms Pakatan’s Fears

KUALA LUMPUR: Pricier medicine, internet policing and longer patents – these are what Malaysians will face should the government agree to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago said today the draft of the secretive trade pact, published online by whistleblowing site WikiLeaks yesterday, has confirmed Pakatan’s worst fears all along.

“We have to be worried about it for three reasons. First, Americans are pushing for a longer patent period – now, the patent period maximum is 20 years, (but) we are now pushing it beyond 20 years, which could be 30, 40 (years)… another proposal is up to 50 years patent.

“This means a patented medicine can only be generic after the 50th year. Which means the cost of medicine, for the longest time, will be very high,” he told a press conference here today.

MP: TPPA dedah GLC Kepada Ambilalih Antarabangsa?

Anggota Parlimen Klang, Charles Xavier menggesa kerajaan menjelaskan sama ada syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) bakal terdedah kepada pengambilalihan di peringkat antarabangsa menerusi Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans Pasifik (TPPA).

Menurutnya, kegusaran itu timbul apabila satu majalah perniagaan utama Vietnam melaporkan mengenai usaha mereformasi GLC dalam TPPA.

Majalah Vietnam Briefing antara lainnya melaporkan yang Malaysia sertai Vietnam, Peru dan Brunei bersepakat untuk menerima tempoh bertenang selama lima tahun untuk menambahbaik dasar melibatkan syarikat GLC, kata Xavier.

Sambutan Perayaan Ponggal di Pandamaran

Pandamaran, 2 Februari 2013 - YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar telah menghadiri Majlis Perayaan Ponggal yang diadakan di Dewan Serbaguna Pandamaran Jaya pada hari ini.

Antara yang berada di majlis perayaan tersebut adalah ahli parlimen Klang, YB Charles Santiago serta ahli-ahli majlis kawasan tersebut.