Zafrul Rm1 Trillion Commitments To Us Not Govt Funds Bumi Rights Protected

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PARLIAMENT | Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has dismissed claims that the Malaysia-US trade deal involves Putrajaya spending or compromises national standards, stressing that all related procurements are purely commercial.
Responding to criticisms circulating on social media and among some lawmakers, the investment, trade and industry minister said many of the allegations stem from “individuals who have not even read the agreement, yet speak as if they were at the negotiating table.”
“First, the RM1 trillion worth of purchases from the US - the list of procurements under this agreement is not something new.
“I had explained it in Parliament last August. Perhaps at that time, the MP for Pasir Gudang was not present, but never mind, I’ll repeat it today,” he said during a minister’s briefing in the Dewan Rakyat.
Yesterday, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, in his Budget 2026 debate, cited the RM1 trillion figure and claimed it was as though Malaysia had simply surrendered its wealth to US President Donald Trump.
Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul KarimZafrul today stressed that throughout the negotiation process, Malaysia remained firmly committed to the principle of neutrality, adopted a whole-of-government approach, and consistently ensured that the nation’s interests and sovereignty are protected and preserved.
”The negotiation team has never wavered on matters involving red lines, particularly those related to bumiputera rights, government procurement policies, and demands for full equity liberalisation in strategic national sectors such as energy and telecommunications.
”If anyone claims that we have ‘sold out’ the country, I challenge them to show a single clause that violates or crosses these red lines - there is none,” he said.
Some existing procurements
Malaysian government-linked companies (GLCs) commitments to purchase US goods, including Boeing planes, liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal, and data centre equipment - in addition to investments Malaysia promised to make in the US - were outlined in the annexes to the trade agreement Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Trump signed on Sunday.
Elaborating, Zafrul reiterated that the companies had announced some of the purchases even prior to Trump's tariff announcement, such as Malaysia Aviation Group’s purchase of Boeing aircraft, which was announced in March.
On criticisms of Petronas' LNG purchases from the US, Zafrul also cited existing long-standing supply strategies.
“Petronas has long been sourcing LNG from multiple countries, including the US, even before the tariff announcement.
"From that relationship, the procurement of LNG from other producing countries, including the US, allows Petronas to optimise supply and ensure stable delivery to its customers.
"This is not a political directive from Washington, but a commercial decision by Petronas to maintain supply stability, honour its contracts, and prevent the country from facing an energy crisis," the minister said.
Zafrul further stressed that a sovereign nation must have diverse energy sources and options to ensure energy security and not dependency.
ADS‘Halal standards remain under Jakim’
Zafrul also dismissed claims that the country’s halal certification standards were compromised during trade negotiations with Washington, calling such allegations “baseless.”
“The halal standard is a red line that the government has never compromised throughout the negotiations,” he said.
Under the agreement, he said, only halal products certified by bodies in the US that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) recognised will be allowed for export to Malaysia.
“Jakim’s recognition is based on strict audits and verification to ensure full compliance with Malaysian halal standards.
“Control over standards, criteria, and certification remains entirely under Jaskim’s jurisdiction,” Zafrul stressed.
The minister warned against fear-mongering that the US will dictate Malaysia’s halal standards.
“Malaysia’s halal standards are determined by Malaysia, certified by Jakim, and safeguarded by the Muslim community in this country. Full stop,” he said.
No export of raw rare earth
On claims that Malaysia has relaxed restrictions on the export of rare earth elements to the US, Zafrul reiterated that the country still prohibits the export of raw rare earth.
"What does this mean? Value-added activities must take place in Malaysia. High-skilled jobs must be created in Malaysia. Processing technology must come to Malaysia.
"We no longer want to be a country that merely extracts and exports cheap raw materials as in the past.
"At present, Malaysia encourages foreign investment and technology partnerships in rare earth mining activities to develop a more integrated domestic industrial ecosystem," he said.
In concluding his briefing, Zafrul highlighted the role of civil servants involved throughout the negotiation process and warned critics - including from among lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat - against dismissing their efforts.
Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul, who presided over the seating, later echoed Zafrul's sentiment against criticisms of civil servants and warned the lawmakers that he would take action against any such attempts.
Johari also responded to Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang), who both requested enough time to be allocated in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow during Zafrul's winding-up of debates on the Procurement Bill. - Mkini

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