Dr M To File Police Report Over One Sided Malaysia Us Trade Deal

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Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be lodging a police report against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today over the controversial Malaysia-United States reciprocal trade deal.
The centenarian will lodge the report at 11am at Putrajaya district police headquarters today. This comes on the heels of a recent Bloomberg report, which detailed that China’s Commerce Ministry had voiced “grave concerns” about sections of the US-Malaysia trade pact during a meeting with Malaysian officials on Nov 25.
The Chinese government is also said to have called on Putrajaya to “fully consider and properly handle this matter in line with its long-term national interests.”
The agreement, inked on Oct 26 between Anwar and US President Donald Trump during the latter’s visit to Malaysia for the Asean Summit, includes provisions encouraging closer alignment with Washington on national security matters such as export controls, sanctions, and investment screening.
ADSThe Malaysia-US pact grants preferential access for American goods and services, while the US has exempted certain Malaysian exports from Trump’s 19 percent reciprocal tariff.
In return, Malaysia is expected to observe US trade restrictions tied to economic or national security concerns, align itself with US export controls and sanctions on sensitive technologies, and prevent Malaysian firms from facilitating sanctions evasion.
Putrajaya is also expected to explore mechanisms to screen inbound investments for national security risks, including those involving critical minerals and infrastructure.
The deal has courted plenty of backlash, with lawmakers lamenting that it was “heavily lopsided” in favour of a foreign power.
‘Jeopardising sovereignty’
On Nov 3, Mahathir had urged Anwar to resign for “jeopardising sovereignty” following the agreement, as he claimed the deal not only violates the Federal Constitution but also jeopardises the rights and sovereignty of the nation, including the position of the Malay rulers.
He said the agreement is one-sided and causes Malaysia to lose part of its freedom to determine its own policies and decisions, as well as asserting that the government’s action in signing the agreement contradicts the spirit of 1957 independence and fundamental provisions in the Federal Constitution.
“What Anwar has done is against the Constitution. He does not have the right to mortgage the nation without the two-thirds approval from the members of the Dewan Rakyat.”
In Parliament yesterday, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz reiterated that Malaysia did not negotiate the trade agreement “from a position of comfort”, noting that the talks were held under the threat of Trump’s 25 percent tariff on almost all of Malaysia’s exports to the US.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz“Through the agreement, we capped the tariff (rate) at 19 percent, not 25 percent or higher. We locked in zero tariffs for 1,711 tariff lines, and we also succeeded in ensuring key products - even semiconductor products - remain exempt,” he said.
“When asked why Malaysia was among the earliest to sign (the trade agreement with the US), the answer is simple: because we were among the most exposed.
“Our export structure, dependence on the E&E (electrical and electronics) sector, as well as vulnerability to US tariffs, are far higher than several other Asean countries,” he added. - Mkini

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