I have no doubt it is in the final agreement, however the...

I have no doubt it is in the final agreement, however the agreement itself is in the final stages of ratification.
Perhaps a good reason to have held off the elections until this is done...

So jan 2013 is the earliest start date for those agreement conditions...






Malaysia market snapshot

GDP: US$278.7 billion (2011)GDP per capita: US$9,700 (2011)GDP growth: 5.1 per cent (2011)Population: 28.7 million (2011)Trade with Australia: A$16.025 billion (2011)
About the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement

Australia’s Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, Craig Emerson, and Malaysia’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed, signed the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) in Kuala Lumpur on 22 May 2012.

It is a comprehensive, high-quality agreement that will further integrate the Australian economy into the fast-growing Asian region. The Agreement will build on benefits already flowing to the Australian economy from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which started for Australia and Malaysia in 2010.

Malaysia is Australia’s 10th largest trading partner, with two-way trade worth $16 billion in 2011. The Agreement will open avenues for Australian goods and services into the dynamic Malaysian market.

The Agreement is an important part of the network of Free Trade Agreements in this region that Australia is pursuing to advance our trade interests in the Asian Century.

MAFTA will enter into force once Australia and Malaysia have completed their domestic ratification procedures. For Australia, consideration by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties is an important part of this process. The earliest the Agreement would take effect is 1 January 2013.

See Outcomes at a Glance for an introduction to MAFTA
See the full agreement under Official documents
For more information see Guide to the agreement