Boost investment, create demand, to counter US tariff effect, govt told

Free Malaysia Today

Former MP Charles Santiago says the country can tariff-proof itself by investing in green technology.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/04/10/boost-investment-create-demand-to-counter-us-tariff-effect-govt-told   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #CharlesSantiago #DonaldTrump #USTariff

Transcript

00:00Former MP Charles Santiago urged Malaysia to strengthen local investment and stimulate

00:07domestic demand to cushion the impact of new U.S. tariffs, calling it a more pragmatic approach

00:12than getting ASEAN members to agree on a single policy. He proposed boosting green technology,

00:18expanding the solar panel ecosystem and increasing food production as ways to create economic

00:23resilience. Santiago warned that the tariffs could lead to retrenchments and business closures,

00:29initially affecting migrants but eventually hurting locals as well, and stressed the importance of

00:34job creation and keeping unemployment low to maintain political stability. He also said focusing

00:40on local food production and demand could reduce dependency on imports, especially from China.

00:46Santiago also said the response by the Investment Trade and Industry Ministry placed too much emphasis

00:52on free trade agreements while overlooking the broader goals of the U.S. tariffs,

00:57which include removing non-trade barriers and disrupting China's role in the supply chain.

01:02Meanwhile, Harold Sippel, an economist familiar with tariffs and sanctions, agreed that stimulating

01:07domestic demand could soften external shocks, citing similar moves by EU countries during the COVID-19

01:13pandemic. However, Sippel argued that for export-driven Malaysia, domestic consumption is only part of the

01:20solution, and that diversifying supply chains and focusing on strategic global positioning

01:25are more effective in managing risks from global trade disruptions.

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