Committee: Rafidah skirting main FTA issues news report of our farmers coalition questioning our Minister of International Trade.

International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz has not addressed the main concerns surrounding the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), claimed a regional grouping of fishermen and farmers today.

In a statement, the Anti-US FTA Action Committee for the Northern Region, which also represents environmental, consumer and rural groups, said the government has to be forthcoming on many aspects of the FTA, not just on the issue of rice imports.

Last week, Rafidah said Malaysian rice farmers would not be affected by the FTA as rice had been excluded from the talks with the US. She also said rice imported from the US came to only 346.8 metric tonnes, less than 0.1 percent of Malaysia