Healthy Reason Behind Malaysia''s Stand To Exclude Tobacco From TPPA

Source from:  Bernama 08/12/2014

Malaysia would maintain its stand to exclude tobacco industry and its related products from the on-going Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations due to the product's impact on public health, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam here, Monday.

He said while some countries involved in the negotiations had their own argument to include the tobacco industry, Malaysia, as far as his ministry was concerned, would want it off the talks.

"Other countries would feel that this (the exclusion) would be providing preference to local tobacco industry and preventing fair competition.

"There are some perception like that who look at the market perspective but we have decided, as far as health is concerned, to leave it out from the negotiations," Dr Subramaniam told reporters after launching the Mouth Cancer Awareness Week Campaign in Kuching.

In his speech earlier, the minister said Malaysia was hoping that it would gather more support to its stand before the agreement could be finalised.

"We should not be negotiating at all on tobacco and we had actually proposed for the elements of tobacco to be removed from the entire TPPA negotiations. We will not be a part to liberalise the tobacco industry," he added. Enditem