I refer to the press statement issued jointly by the Members of Parliament for Pandan Dato’ Seri Rafizi Ramli, Wong Chen (Subang Jaya), and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa). Let me address the misleading views that the three MPs had expressed.
In that statement they mentioned that:
“After much deliberations and study, we are convinced that the Agreement is heavily lopsided in favour of the United States. We further note that Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), YB Liew Chin Tong, in a public forum on 3 November 2025, stated that Malaysia was forced into the negotiations and this was not an equal partnership.”
It is regrettable that these Government backbenchers had selectively quoted me without the full context. This is a mischievous act that opens the door to interpretations which distort the substance of what was said.
They were selectively quoting my remarks made at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) Business Conference on the 2026 National Budget, SST and International Trade Updates.
My remarks must be understood within the broader context of international trade at present.
When President Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs on all US trading partners on 2 April, every major exporting nation had no choice but to engage, including China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the European Union. Malaysia was in the same situation.
My point at the forum was that in the long run, Malaysia and other trading nations must grow domestic and regional demands, and to diversify trade so as to reduce dependency on the US market.
Despite these difficult global circumstances, we still secured a deal that reduced our tariff burden from 24% – 25% to 19% under the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariffs (ART), and expanded our market access. All of this certainty in trade with the US will help provide stability to our economy. This stability is particularly vital as Malaysia continues to rebuild and strengthen its economy.
All this was done without compromising our sovereignty. The allegation the three MPs made that Articles 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 will constrain Malaysia’s sovereign rights or force us to align with the national security and economic interests of the United States reflects their wilful, redundant, and unnecessary blindness to the actual realities of the agreement.
The commitments in the agreement must still be carried out in a manner that does not infringe on our sovereignty. In fact, the very clauses cited in the said statement are framed with clear
caveats such as “in accordance with its own domestic laws and regulations” and where there are “shared economic or national security concerns”.
Therefore, the recommendations in the MPs’ statement for a Royal Commission of Inquiry, for Malaysia to initiate renegotiations, and other similar proposals, are unnecessary as it stems from a lack of understanding of the terms of ART and the broader context of international trade.
Taking such steps would only inject uncertainty into our economy and market.
MITI Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and I as well as our officials are always available to brief Members of Parliament on all matters relating to international trade. As an MP who was first elected in 2008, I am committed to parliamentary oversight, but it must be done in good faith.
Painting a gloomy picture and sowing mistrust with half-truths does not help the public in understanding the actual contents of the agreement and the predicament faced by exporting nations.
The Government and MITI are clear-eyed. We are here to protect jobs and export markets which are currently dependent on the United States market but we are also actively building domestic resilience, strengthening ASEAN economies, and diversifying trade relationships.