Opposition coalition PN calls for a special parliamentary session to review the Malaysia-US trade agreement after a US court ruling nullified its legal basis.
PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional (PN) has called for a special parliamentary sitting to review the Malaysia-United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, following legal developments in the US that have cast uncertainty over the deal.
Its secretary-general and chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the situation raises questions about the status of negotiations and any commitments made by the government under the agreement.
“The development raises serious questions about the status of negotiations and any commitments that may have been made by the government under the agreement,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said the issue could have wide-ranging implications for Malaysia’s export industries, manufacturing sector, supply chains and investor confidence, especially amid growing global trade uncertainty.
“At a time of growing global trade uncertainty, clarity in policy direction and investor confidence in Malaysia are increasingly important.
“Such a step is vital to ensure transparency and accountability while enabling Parliament to perform its proper role in scrutinising the direction of Malaysia’s trade policy and protecting the country’s long-term economic interests,” he noted.
PN is urging the government to provide a full explanation of the agreement’s status, its economic and diplomatic implications for Malaysia and the measures being taken to safeguard national interests.
Takiyuddin said a special parliamentary sitting would allow MPs to be fully briefed and debate the matter openly.
“Parliament must be informed of any commitments or concessions that may have been made during negotiations, including matters affecting the future direction of Malaysia-United States trade relations.”
The agreement was signed in October last year in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit, following negotiations prompted by tariff measures imposed by Washington on Malaysian exports under US President Donald Trump’s administration.
The deal aimed to manage the impact of those tariffs while maintaining market access for selected Malaysian exports.
However, the agreement has become inapplicable after the US Supreme Court ruled that key elements of Trump’s tariff policy exceeded presidential authority under US trade law, effectively removing the legal framework that had underpinned the negotiations.
On Sunday, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani confirmed that the agreement was no longer applicable, noting that the earlier tariff framework had been affected by the court ruling.
He also said the United States is imposing a temporary 10% tariff on Malaysian goods under Section 122 of the US Trade Act 1974, pending review by Washington.
The Sun Malaysia
