日内瓦--瑞士计划于10月5日就与马来西亚的贸易协议举行公投，反对者认为该协议危及热带雨林，并且缺乏针对强迫劳动的适当保障措施。
GENEVA – Switzerland looks on course on Oct 5 to hold a referendum on a trade deal with Malaysia, with opponents believing the agreement endangers tropical rainforests and lacks proper safeguards against forced labour.
据公共广播公司RTS报道，10月5日，活动人士在瑞士首都伯尔尼的议会大楼递交了85，000个签名。
Campaigners handed in 85,000 signatures at the Parliament buildings in the Swiss capital Bern on Oct 5, public broadcaster RTS said.
要在瑞士直接民主制度下引发公投，必须在新法律发布后100天内收集50，000个有效签名。瑞士议会于6月完成了对该贸易协议的批准。当局现在必须核实签名。如果获得批准，公投可能会在2027年上半年进行。
To trigger a referendum under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, 50,000 valid signatures must be collected within 100 days of publication of a new law. The Swiss Parliament completed its approval of the trade deal in June. The authorities will now have to verify the signatures. If approved, the referendum would likely go ahead in the first half of 2027.
该自由贸易协定是马来西亚和欧洲自由贸易联盟（EFTA）之间的，该联盟汇集了冰岛、列支敦士登、挪威和瑞士等欧盟以外的所有国家。
The free trade agreement is between Malaysia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that brings together Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, all countries outside the European Union.
《欧洲自由贸易区-马来西亚经济伙伴关系协定》于2025年6月在挪威特罗姆索举行的欧洲自由贸易区部长级会议上签署。谈判于2012年开始。
The EFTA-Malaysia Economic Partnership Agreement was signed at EFTA’s ministerial meeting in Tromso, Norway, in June 2025. Negotiations began in 2012.
瑞士在协议签署时表示，一旦缔约国完成国内批准程序，该协议即生效。
The agreement comes into effect once the domestic ratification processes in the contracting states have been completed, Switzerland said when the deal was signed.
当局当时表示：“对于马来西亚棕榈油，瑞士已同意以市场兼容和基于配额的方式降低关税，以免对国内植物油生产产生不利影响。”
“For Malaysian palm oil, Switzerland has agreed to a market-compatible and quota-based reduction in tariffs so as not to adversely affect domestic production of vegetable oils,” the authorities said at the time.
“该协议还包括关于环境保护和劳工权利的全面部分。除其他外，它还包含确保根据该协议交易的棕榈油可持续生产的具体条款。”在瑞士，棕榈油主要用于加工食品、化妆品和清洁产品。反对热带森林砍伐联盟伞式组织带头收集反对该协议的签名。
“The agreement also includes a comprehensive section on environmental protection and labour rights. Among other things, it contains specific provisions to ensure that palm oil traded under the agreement is produced sustainably.”In Switzerland, palm oil is primarily used in processed foods, cosmetics and cleaning products. The Alliance Against Tropical Deforestation umbrella organisation led the collection of signatures against the deal.
该联盟表示，该协议“计划降低1250万公斤棕榈油的关税，但不采取有效措施打击雨林砍伐和强迫劳动”。
The agreement “plans to lower tariffs on 12.5 million kg of palm oil, without effective measures against rainforest deforestation and forced labour”, the alliance says.
“瑞士这样做是在帮助加速破坏马来西亚已经受到严重威胁的雨林，同时危及种植园工人和土著社区的权利。
“In doing so, Switzerland is helping to accelerate the destruction of a rainforest in Malaysia that is already critically threatened, while jeopardising the rights of plantation workers and indigenous communities.
它声称：“此外，这项协议有可能限制农民家庭自由保存和交换种子的权利。”
“Furthermore, this agreement risks restricting the right of farming families to freely save and exchange their seeds,” it claims.
根据欧洲自由贸易区的数据，2025年瑞士向马来西亚出口了8.9亿欧元（12.8亿新元）的商品，其中药品出口量为2.55亿欧元，机械和机械用具出口量为1.91亿欧元。
According to EFTA figures, Switzerland exported €890 million (S$1.28 billion) of goods to Malaysia in 2025, led by pharmaceutical products at €255 million, and machinery and mechanical appliances at €191 million.
从马来西亚到瑞士的进口价值6.22亿欧元，其中电动机械进口2.44亿欧元，机械和机械用具进口1.09亿欧元。
Imports from Malaysia to Switzerland were worth €622 million, led by electrical machinery at €244 million, and machinery and mechanical appliances at €109 million.