Malaysian officials will be sent to the United States to begin a dialogue on the tariff issue, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Malaysia’s trade with the United States has long been a model of mutual gain. Our exports support not just growth here but high-quality jobs across the United States. '' Anwar said at the Asean Investment Conference (AIC) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (April 8).
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“Malaysia’s trade with the United States has long been a model of mutual gain. Our exports support not just growth here but high-quality jobs across the United States. '' Anwar said at the Asean Investment Conference (AIC) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (April 8).
Read more at https://shorturl.at/5ESnG
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
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NewsTranscript
00:00Now, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the global trading system is under intense strain,
00:17more so than at any point in recent memory.
00:21Last week, the United States unveiled its latest turn towards economic nationalism,
00:28sweeping tariffs on all imports, being part and parcel of what has been dubbed as Trump
00:36tariffs against the rest of the world.
00:39Malaysia's trade with the United States has long been a model of mutual gain.
00:44Our exports support not just growth here, but high-quality jobs across the United States.
00:53This commercial relationship has served both countries well, but these measures may end
00:59up harming all.
01:01Yet, we do not believe in megaphone diplomacy.
01:06As part of our soft diplomacy of quiet engagement, and I build this consensus among ASEAN leaders,
01:12we will be dispatching, together with our colleagues in ASEAN, our officials in Washington
01:18to begin the process of dialogue.
01:21In the meantime, Malaysia will adapt as we always have.
01:26Winds may shift, but we do not drift.
01:30Our trade diversification strategy is already gathering space.
01:36Our cohesiveness within ASEAN believes that the intra-trade with ASEAN, investments and
01:43joint collaboration must be further enhanced.
01:47While we intend to remain steadfast trade partners with the United States, we will in
01:51tandem do whatever it takes to safeguard our economic interests.
01:56This includes engaging proactively with the United States towards achieving a mutually
02:02beneficial outcome, and at the same time diversifying our ties with all major trade markets across
02:09the EU, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and particularly China, Korea, and Japan.
02:17Now these efforts are not occurring in a vacuum.
02:21They unfold against a backdrop of mounting uncertainty, one that transcends any single
02:28country's policy choices.
02:30Globalization, once assumed to be forging ahead, now appears to be in retreat.
02:38Protectionism is resurgent, supply chains are being reconfigured, and multilateralism
02:45is increasingly spoken of in the past tense.
02:51In this environment, ASEAN stands out as a beacon of hope and positivity.
02:57We are still broadly committed to openness, cooperation, and institutional continuity.
03:04Our total trade in goods stands at $3.5 trillion.
03:09Of course, this figure is not guaranteed.
03:12While the barrage of tariffs sweeping across the world in fast and furious fashion, we
03:18are witnessing the fraying of the global order.
03:23Therefore, ASEAN must rely more on itself.
03:26This means strengthening inter-ASEAN trade.
03:30We must move beyond rhetoric to execution.
03:35Tariff liberalization within the region is largely complete, but regulatory alignment,
03:42cross-border logistics, digital connectivity remain unfinished business.
03:47It also means safeguarding and expanding our external linkages.
03:53Our dialogue and sectoral partners span six continents.
03:57Few regional blocs can claim such a network.
04:01As Chair this year, Malaysia will prioritize the revitalization of strategic platforms
04:08such as the ASEAN Plus Three as mechanisms for economic resilience.
04:14This will require political will, serious capital, fortitude, and a strong dose of good
04:21fortune.
04:22While this will not be a silver bullet, it is nevertheless a significant and unprecedented
04:30step.
04:31Malaysia is also committed to invest in developing our border areas, such as in the northern
04:37peninsula with Thailand, and the Sabah and Sarawak border with Kalimantan, to promote
04:43economic activities for the benefit of people in both sides of the border covering Indonesia,
04:49Brunei, and the Philippines.
04:52Our Southeast Asian neighbors are especially prone to natural disasters.
04:57Furthermore, the effects of climate change have become more insidious.
05:02Our capacity to manage adverse weather events, safeguard critical infrastructure, and protect
05:09vulnerable communities must be significantly improved.
05:14Green growth is no longer a matter of environmental virtue, but a strategic economic necessity.
05:21Technologies such as carbon capture, circular production models, and low-emission innovations
05:28are not peripheral experiments.
05:30Indeed, they are poised to define the industrial landscape of the coming decade.
05:35Today, even more pertinent than ever, we must pursue greater economic integration in ASEAN.
05:43During this week's ASEAN Finance Track, as you will hear of various efforts to strengthen
05:50our economic cooperation.
05:52Now, the Trump tariffs are not the first challenge to multilateralism, nor will they be the last.
06:00But if ASEAN can hold its nerve, staying open, pragmatic, and cohesive, it may yet be among
06:09the last believers in a world that works better when it works together.
06:15With that, I am pleased to launch the ASEAN Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide for SMEs in
06:22Supply Chains.
06:23Terima kasih.
06:25Xie xie.
06:39Xie xie.