MP SPEAKS | Countering MPs' claims on US trade deal

MP SPEAKS | I refer to the press statement issued jointly by the MPs Rafizi Ramli (Pandan), Wong Chen (Subang Jaya), and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa). Let me address the misleading views that the three MPs had expressed.

In that statement, they mentioned that:

“After much deliberation and study, we are convinced that the agreement is heavily lopsided in favour of the United States. We further note that Deputy Minister of the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry (Miti) Liew Chin Tong, in a public forum on Nov 3, 2025, stated that Malaysia was forced into the negotiations and this was not an equal partnership.”

It is regrettable that these government backbenchers selectively quoted me without the full context. This is a mischievous act that opens the door to interpretations which distort the substance of what was said.

They were selectively quoting my remarks made at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) Business Conference on the 2026 National Budget, SST, and International Trade Updates.

My remarks must be understood within the broader context of international trade at present.

Realities of international trade

When US President Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs on all US trading partners on April 2, every major exporting nation had no choice but to engage, including China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and the European Union. Malaysia was in the same situation.

My point at the forum was that in the long run, Malaysia and other trading nations must grow domestic and regional demands, and diversify trade to reduce dependency on the US market.

Despite these difficult global circumstances, we still secured a deal that reduced our tariff burden from 24-25 percent to 19 percent under the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariffs (ART), and expanded our market access.

All of this certainty in trade with the US will help provide stability to our economy. This stability is particularly vital as Malaysia continues to rebuild and strengthen its economy.

All this was done without compromising our sovereignty. The allegation that the three MPs made that Articles 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3 will constrain Malaysia’s sovereign rights or force us to align with the national security and economic interests of the US reflects their wilful, redundant, and unnecessary blindness to the actual realities of the agreement.

The commitments in the agreement must still be carried out in a manner that does not infringe on our sovereignty. In fact, the very clauses cited in the said statement are framed with clear caveats such as “in accordance with its own domestic laws and regulations” and where there are “shared economic or national security concerns”.

Protecting jobs, diversifying trade

Therefore, the recommendations in the MPs’ statement for a Royal Commission of Inquiry, for Malaysia to initiate renegotiations, and other similar proposals, are unnecessary as they stem from a lack of understanding of the terms of ART and the broader context of international trade. Taking such steps would only inject uncertainty into our economy and market.

Miti Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and I, as well as our officials, are always available to brief MPs on all matters relating to international trade. As an MP who was first elected in 2008, I am committed to parliamentary oversight, but it must be done in good faith.

Painting a gloomy picture and sowing mistrust with half-truths does not help the public in understanding the actual contents of the agreement and the predicament faced by exporting nations.

The government and Miti are clear-eyed. We are here to protect jobs and export markets, which are currently dependent on the US market, but we are also actively building domestic resilience, strengthening Asean economies, and diversifying trade relationships.

LIEW CHIN TONG is the Iskandar Puteri MP and the deputy investment, trade, and industry minister.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

Govt MPs press for RCI, review of 'lopsided' US trade deal

PM slams trade deal critics, says they don't understand its contents

Ministers push back as opposition MPs question US trade deal

PAS mulls legal challenge, 'Turun Anwar 2.0' over US trade pact