MALAYSIA-US ART YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED - PM ANWAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia-United States (US) Agreement on Reciprocal Trade  (ART) inked during the 47th ASEAN Summit has yet to come into force as the government is still in the negotiation phase and seeking clear written assurances, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The provisions under the agreement have not been enforced, as the US is still allowing room for responses and there is no fixed timeline for the conclusion of those responses,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, was responding to a supplementary question from Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN-Sik) on assurances that the ART would not undermine Malaysia’s sovereignty and whether the government had issued a written notification regarding the agreement.

According to him, the government has also sought assurances through discussions with the US Trade Representative (USTR), while standing firm that such assurances should be clearly stated in writing.

“The assurances were given and recorded in the minutes of the meeting with the USTR. However, we believe those assurances should be in writing and made as an annex to the agreement. These have yet to be finalised,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the matter was also discussed during the Cabinet meeting and will be refined by the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI).

He emphasised that the government takes seriously concerns raised over the potential impact of the agreement on Malaysia’s domestic policy space, including subsidies, sensitive strategic controls, and the country’s neutral policy stance.

He said the matter would be addressed in the Cabinet meeting, including proposals for improvements, adjustments, or clarifications.

“I have been informed by the MITI minister that there are 35 questions that need to be addressed,” said Anwar.

He also stressed that the drafting of national policies related to the ART does not require any amendments to the Federal Constitution, as it does not conflict with the Constitution and its underlying principles.

Meanwhile, he said Malaysia is not immune to economic and security pressures from major powers, but the government’s strategy continues to focus on strengthening regional and international cooperation at the ASEAN level, expanding engagement with the European Union (EU) and ASEAN-EU, and enhancing relations and agreements with other countries, including Brazil, South Africa, China, Australia and India.

“We protect our country from excessive pressure by strengthening international relations and maintaining diplomacy,” he said.

-- BERNAMA