Article contributed by Nirmal Shanker and Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, Officers–in–Charge, Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee, and photos by Satha Selvan Subramaniam, Senior Administrative Assistant, Bar Council
The Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee organised a consultation on “Labour Chapter of TPPA — Obligations of Stakeholders” on 9 June 2016 at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Straits Trading Building. Representatives from embassies, Members of the Bar, and civil society organisations numbering 50 persons attended the consultation.
The speakers for the consultation were:
(1) Wan Wadrina Wan Abdul Wahab, Senior Principal Assistant Director, Strategic Negotiations, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (“MITI”);
(2) M Vivekanandan, Advisor – Special Functions, Malaysian Employers Federation (“MEF”);
(3) Somasundram Karupiah, Education and Training Officer, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (“MTUC”);
(4) Kesavan Karuppiah, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources (“MOHR”);
(5) Tressa Finerty, Political Counselor, US Embassy Kuala Lumpur; and
(6) David Welsh, Country Director, Washington, US, Solidarity Center.
The following topics were addressed by the speakers:
(1) An overview of the Trans–Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”) and its major components;
(2) The implications of TPPA for Malaysian industries and workers;
(3) Impact of TPPA on management of human resources and relations with trade unions;
(4) TPPA chapters and its impact on labour administration; and
(5) The United States and the Trans–Pacific Partnership.
Ramachelvam Manimuthu, Chairperson of the Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee, moderated the panel.
The consultation ended with a lively question–and–answer session.