EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD NATIONAL INTERESTS BEGAN EARLY IN RTA TALKS – TENGKU ZAFRUL

From Nor Baizura Basri

GYEONGJU (South Korea), Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Efforts to protect the country's sovereignty and interests have been underway since the early stages of negotiations for the Malaysia-South Korea Reciprocal Trade Agreement (RTA), said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz.

He said the negotiating team comprises highly experienced individuals from various ministries and agencies,  many of whom were also involved in negotiations for the 19 free trade agreements (FTAs) previously signed by Malaysia.

“The negotiating team has considered all risks and aspects to ensure this is the best agreement for Malaysia. In any negotiation, it cannot be one-sided; there are things that need to be given and things that need to be defended.

“If there's something we feel we can't budge on, we stick to our position. But if there is room for further negotiation, we will negotiate to get the best results," he told reporters outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) here.

Tengku Zafrul said the government is open to accepting any views and criticisms regarding the agreement, but they must be based on facts and not motivated by political attacks.

He said his ministry will redouble its efforts by holding more engagement sessions to increase public understanding of the agreement.

So far, Malaysia has signed 19 FTAs, including with the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, and the recently signed FTA with South Korea.

-- BERNAMA