Ministers Push Back As Opposition Mps Question Us Trade Deal

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PARLIAMENT | Two ministers today admonished opposition MPs over their persistent complaints on the Malaysia-US trade deal, which has courted divided opinions from lawmakers and the public.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan (above) urged detractors of the “Agreement Between US and Malaysia on Reciprocal Trade” to look at the matter comprehensively.
“The best arrangement, the best deal possible, is the one we have (signed),” the senator said in his winding-up speech for the Supply Bill 2026 at the committee stage.
“I hope we can look at it in a holistic way (and) not just nitpick small details - focus on the bigger objective (as) what matters is that we can now move forward.”
Amir said this after PAS MP Syahir Che Sulaiman (PN-Bachok) had pressed him to state the Finance Ministry’s stance on the agreement, highlighting that the ministry is tasked with providing advice and coordinating financial and economic issues related to bilateral and regional cooperations.
Bachok MP Syahir Che SulaimanSyahir’s fellow Perikatan Nasional MP, Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya), had also argued that since tax is a core activity under the Finance Ministry, Amir has a duty to explain the implications of the agreement on the government’s revenue collection.
Assurance to industries
In response, Amir said that from a taxation standpoint, the Finance Ministry’s inputs were provided and taken into account in the finalised agreement.
“What’s important is that we can now move forward confidently (as) there’s no doubt about the tariff level which we’ve managed to secure at 19 percent.
“This gives assurance to industries operating in Malaysia, and some relief so that foreign direct investments can come (do business in Malaysia),” Amir added.
The government signed the reciprocal trade deal with Washington last week during US President Donald Trump’s visit in conjunction with the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Putrajaya had come under fire for signing the agreement, which critics argued was lopsided and allegedly jeopardised Malaysia’s sovereignty and interests.
Gobind chides PAS MPs
During the morning session of the Dewan Rakyat today, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo also rebuked another opposition MP for posing questions, claiming the latter lacked understanding of the deal.
Gobind (Harapan-Damansara) trained his guns on PAS MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) after the latter questioned whether the deal implies Putrajaya is handing over the nation’s “digital keys” to another country.
Calling on Fadhli to study the contents of the agreement in detail before making such allegations, the minister expressed frustration at the opposition’s perceived inability to understand the government’s assurances.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo“I don’t understand why the opposition can’t seem to grasp such simple language. Read the documents and let’s build this country together,” Gobind said.
“Yes, there were discussions, but the question raised suggests that there weren’t any, as if there were restrictions and so on. What are you talking about - do you really not understand?” the evidently exasperated minister asked.
‘No clear answers’
Later, Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) insisted that the opposition had not received clear answers on issues related to the agreement, lamenting that while Gobind is usually calm and facts-based, the minister appeared “a little emotional” this time.
“There’s no need for that…we only want the government to answer the questions we raise. Even during the (previous) Prime Minister's Question Time, we didn’t get clear answers.
“The same happened when (Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister) Tengku Zafrul responded - he merely accused us of disrespecting civil servants. All we’re asking for are proper answers,” Shahidan said.
Arau MP Shahidan KassimThe former Perlis menteri besar also responded to Gobind’s jab about the opposition’s alleged failure to understand the agreement.
“We’ve consulted various parties, including some of the country’s top lawyers, and they all share the same view,” he claimed. - Mkini

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