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The campaign, part of an ongoing awareness campaign on the FTA
targeting mainly the farming communities in northern Malaysia, will be submitted
to premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and International Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister
Rafidah Aziz.
<P>Spearheading the campaign is the Anti-US FTA Action Committee
for the Northern Region, together with several farmers’ and fishermen’s
associations in Kedah and Penang, Consumers Association of Penang, environmental
group Sahabat Alam Malaysia and other groups.</P><P>Basing their fears on the
outcome of FTAs previously signed between the US and other countries like Mexico,
they want the government to reveal the details of the agreement and their significance
for the fishing and farming communities.</P><P>“We understand that about
two million farmers in Mexico were forced to abandon their lands on account of
its FTA with the US," the committee said. </P><P>"We also understand
that eight out of every 10 farmers have lived in poverty since that agreement
took effect,” said Che Ani Mat Zain, who heads a farmers’ committee
under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority in Kedah.</P><P>He said each
of the 106,800 farmers in the state owns only two hectares of land. With earnings
of less than RM200 a month, they count among the poorest communities in Malaysia.</P><P>“We
cannot compete with Thai rice in terms of quality and price. What will happen
when US farm products enter into our market?” Che Ani asked when contacted
today.</P><P>Malaysia yesterday entered into the fourth round of negotiations
on the FTA with the US Trade Representative (USTR) in San Francisco.</P><P>Despite
calls by non-governmental organisations and opposition parties for full disclosure,
the government has been mum on developments to date, although Miti has released
occasional bulletins. </P><P><B>Silence all round</B></P><P>Che Ani, from Air
Hitam in northern Kedah, said the rural community has not seen sufficient attention
focused on FTA-related issues by their elected representatives.</P><P>There has
been no response either to a letter sent last week to the Prime Minister’s
Department in Putrajaya, he said.</P><P>“We want Abdullah and Rafidah to
openly declare their stand on the FTA and explain it to the people,” said
Che Ani.</P><P>In a statement today, the committee also called on the government
to explain how the US-Malaysia FTA would impact on plans in the Ninth Malaysia
Plan to increase national food security from 72 percent last year to 90 percent
by 2010.</P><P>It further said about 200 faxes were sent to the offices of Abdullah
and Rafidah on Jan 3 by various individuals, groups, and political parties expressing
opposition to the talks.</P><P>The nationwide fax campaign was organised in the
wake of the government’s failure to address various concerns raised. </P><P>Coalition
co-ordinator Y Kohila said a media event would be held tomorrow at the Universiti
Malaya Medical Centre, by a group representing people living with Aids/HIV to
highlight the potential impact of the FTA on those affected.</P><P>A memorandum
on the issue was sent this morning to the Prime Minister’s Department, she
added.</P><P><I>Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/61902</I>
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