U.S.-S'pore FTA shouldn't be allowed to disturb ASEAN

U.S.-S'pore FTA shouldn't be allowed to disturb ASEAN

Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that
neighboring Singapore's free-trade agreement with the United
States should not be allowed to interfere with deals among the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

U.S. President George W. Bush and Singapore's Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong on Tuesday signed a bilateral agreement in
Washington that would wipe out tariffs and other trade barriers
on about US$33 billion in annual trade.

If approved by U.S. Congress, Singapore would become the first
Asian nation to have such a duty-free arrangement with the United
States.

Mahathir, Asia's longest-serving elected leader, said he did
not dispute Singapore's right to such an agreement.

"If they want to have any agreement with anybody, it is their
business, not ours," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the
national news agency, Bernama. "Singapore is a foreign country,
it is a free country. We do not impose anything on foreign
countries."

Asked about the potential impact of the agreement on the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Mahathir said: "As far as
we are concerned, we are ASEAN and we are not going to allow
anything extraneous to interfere with (the) ASEAN grouping."

ASEAN, founded in 1967 to strengthen regional economic ties,
comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

The regional grouping plans to establish a free trade area
among its members countries, and has signed framework agreements
with China and Japan.