While they would welcome with open arms if US president-elect Donald Trump dumps the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), the Bantah TPPA group believes that this will probably not happen.

“But we are wary that it may too simplistic for us to believe that Trump will keep his promise to the American voters to dump the TPPA.

“Considering the strong lobbying by big multinationals during Barack Obama’s presidency, this will surely come to bear during Trump presidency. Same concern if Hillary Clinton had won,” the group’s deputy chairperson Azlan Awang told Malaysiakini.

Azlan posited that the Trump victory could lead to several scenarios.

“One is Obama and Congress - who are both beholden to big businesses - will try to pass the TPP during this transition period,” he said.

Trump will only take office in January next year and Bantah TPPA sees the passing of this agreement by the Congress as “an unlikely but possible outcome”.