<figure id="attachment_3043625" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3043625" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3043625 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/287ec1df-tun-dr-mahathir-mohamad-fmt-interview-15.webp" alt="Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3043625" class="wp-caption-text">Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of failing to consult Parliament or legal experts before signing a recent trade deal with the US.</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that American companies have effectively been granted Bumiputera status under a reciprocal trade agreement signed by Malaysia and the US, calling it “a betrayal of Malaysia’s independence”.
“The effect is that all American companies have effectively obtained Bumiputera status under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) signed by the prime minister,” he said.
“They are given Bumiputera privileges. America gets Bumiputera privileges,” he added during a press conference.
Mahathir said ART would force Malaysia to purchase goods from the US and allow Washington to influence Malaysia’s future trade policies.
“The truth is, the agreement hands over our country to America,” he claimed.
“We are compelled to follow this agreement, which forces us to buy billions worth of goods from America. We must buy gas from America; we must buy aircraft from America. Sixty Boeing planes will be purchased under this deal. It means we are no longer free.”
He described the pact as “lopsided” and accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of failing to consult Parliament or legal experts before signing it.
Anwar previously dismissed claims that the trade deal affected the country’s sovereignty, stating that Malaysia can terminate the agreement if necessary.
He told the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 30 that the trade agreement he signed with US President Donald Trump had been carefully reviewed by senior government officials to ensure the country’s interests were protected.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers also stated that Malaysia’s sovereignty and national interests remain fully protected, as the country’s implementation of obligations and commitments under the agreement is subject to domestic law and applicable procedures.

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