Category: Development EN

CAP urges the Kedah state government to pay serious attention and take immediate action to address the problem of cleanliness and dire state of basic amenities in a picnic area in Pantai Merdeka near Sungai Petani. CAP’s survey revealed that the area is contaminated with wastewater and all kinds of waste. The equipment in the children’s playground was also in dilapidated condition and...

Even a powerful European country like France is mindful about the perils of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. French Trade Minister has warned the European Union against the ISDS mechanism proposed in the EU-US trade agreement as it would allow foreign companies to challenge governments directly.  An article titled “Paris raises legal fears over US trade talks” in the...

Lately there has been a lot of discussion in the media about the role of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in the bid for power plant projects. Penjana Bebas an association of independent power producers (IPPs) wants TNB to be excluded from future bidding process because it claims TNB has an unfair advantage over IPPs.  TNB on the other hand has asserted that  it won the tenders fair and square. For...

Minister Idris Jala writing about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the business section of The Star newspaper on 5 August 2013, (titled ‘A fair trade agreement among Pacific rim economies can be enormously beneficial’) noted that ‘it is highly unlikely that we are going to be squeezed by any one party.’ It is true that there are 12 countries negotiating the TPP; however one of them...

The increase in the market price of chicken has caused dissatisfaction among Malaysian consumers.  In the two weeks since the beginning of Ramadan, the dramatic rise of chicken price has become a hotly discussed issue among consumers, traders and policy makers. Previously, the price of chicken was around RM7 per kg. Now, at the Jelutong Market for example, chicken price is between RM8 to RM9 per...

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to this forum organized by the Consumers’ Association of Penang.  You have come here to learn how the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), currently being negotiated by the Malaysian government, will impact not only you but our future generations. The TPPA countries are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru,...

The Impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) on You and Your Children's Health, Livelihood and the Environment. Malaysia is signing onto the TPPA, which is a United States’-led economic agreement, with 11 other countries. What is your government agreeing to IN YOUR NAME? a) Health: Deeper, longer and  comprehensive pharmaceutical patents, making MEDICINES & MEDICAL...

“Trust the Government, we know what is best for you”.  This is sheer pomposity on the part of the Government and we fear that our and our future generation’s life and livelihood would be in jeopardy if we are not careful in what the Government is signing us up for. When the text of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and likewise the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement are kept secret and we have...

CAP calls on the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and the Department of Standards (Standards Malaysia) to immediately withdraw a Malaysian proposal that it has tabled at the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations. We believe that this proposal will have potentially dangerous impacts on public health, food safety and consumer choice. The proposal by the...