Anwar Lauds Trump S Business Acumen Seeks To Maintain M Sia Us Ties

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is buttering up US president-elect Donald Trump in anticipation of the Republican leader's return to office next month.
While praising Trump's "business sense", Anwar said it was important for Malaysia to maintain good ties with the US.
"President Trump is pragmatic and has strong business acumen.
"We must ensure that Malaysia continues to benefit from positive US engagement while maintaining regional stability,” Bernama reported him as saying today.
It should be noted that while Trump (above, right) has built himself an image as a business magnate, his corporate track record is mired by his hotels and casinos declaring bankruptcy six times between 1991 and 2009.
His grasp of economics has also been questioned, after his repeated claims that foreign countries will have to pay for tariffs that he would be introducing, instead of US importers.
Early this month, Trump threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Brics countries if they shift away from the US dollar as a trading currency.
Malaysia is a partner country in the coalition.
Anwar had himself set Malaysia on the path of de-dollarisation in late 2023 in order to reduce reliance on the greenback.
Trump's return to the White House is also expected to impact China, an important trading partner for Malaysia.
Balancing act
Anwar, however, reiterated today that Malaysia will continue its balancing act of maintaining ties with both the US and China.
The prime minister said his office is already engaging with Trump's team.
“Many of my team members (have been) communicating with the potential team of President Trump, and so far, initial engagements (are) quite positive,” he said. - Mkini

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