‘Exclude tobacco from trade pact’

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged for tobacco to be excluded from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to a report in The Star.

According to MMA President Datuk N.K.S. Tharmaseelan, the overall objective of the TPPA was to increase and facilitate free trade of goods and services, but it should not apply to tobacco.

“Tobacco is the only product that kills half its users prematurely, causes numerous diseases and reduces productivity.

“There is simply no justification for tobacco to enjoy the privileges of free trade,” he said in a statement.

The TPPA is a U.S.-sponsored trade agreement that is being negotiated by 12 countries—Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States.