GOVT WILL SAFEGUARD NATIONAL INTEREST IN ALL TRADE DEALS -- TENGKU ZAFRUL

JOHOR BAHRU, April 21 (Bernama) -- The government will prioritise and safeguard national interests in all its bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said today.

“We want to ensure that Malaysian companies, investors, exporters and workers -- essentially the Malaysian economy -- are protected from any decision that could be detrimental to the nation,” he said.

In doing so, Malaysia would engage with all countries, he said when asked to comment on a statement by China urging countries negotiating trade deals with the United States (US) not to do so at Beijing’s expense.

Malaysia remains firm in its commitment to the principle of multilateralism, he told a press conference after attending the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) Joint Business and Investment Forum today.

Tengku Zafrul said that whether it involves China, the European Union (EU), the Gulf Cooperation Council or the US, Malaysia believes that engagement and dialogue are essential.

Malaysia values fairness in international cooperation and upholds the principle of multilateralism through various platforms and organisations, he said.

“Whatever agreements we achieve with one nation, we’d strive to offer a similar treatment to others. This is also why ASEAN is working hard to upgrade its Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA),” he said.

He cited the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement as an example, adding that the bloc is also in the process of upgrading its free trade agreements (FTAs) with China and India.

“At the same time, Malaysia continues to engage with other countries and has resumed FTA negotiations with blocs such as the EU,” he added.

-- BERNAMA