Doubters to PMX: 'Stop appealing to US; Malaysia's BRICS involvement is the stumbling block' -
Such was the ground sentiment after PMX yesterday (July 10) received a courtesy call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who was in town to attend the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur by virtue of Malaysia being the 2025 ASEAN chairman.
'Better not to negotiate further lest the rate can shoot up to 30%,' warned a detractor on PMX's Facebook page, alluding to Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz's failure to get the reciprocal tariff rate 'reduced to 10% floor rate' despite having made two trips to Washington .
Recall that the former technocrat finance minister ended up getting mocked for 'jogging around the White House' for his unfruitful trade mission between April 24 and June 19 which culminated in some three to four rounds of trade negotiations.
Other doubters sarcastically nominated 'the ever smiling' Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu or 'the good at cracking jokes' Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan to spearhead the negotiation.
This was when some trade-savvy commenters insinuated that Putrajaya can negotiate 'till the cows come home' for Malaysia's leaning towards the BRICS trading bloc – even only as a partner country – poses a major stumbling block.
'Going to be a mountain to climb to get reduction for the US has warned on the need to exit BRICS to be its friendly partner,' one pointed out.
This came about as US President Donald Trump has personally threatened countries aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS that they will be slapped with an additional 10% tariff.
Such seems to be the general feel of many main-on-the-street Malaysians as well gauged from their reaction to a news piece by The Star that the 25% tariff rate on Malaysia is not final and there is still one month to negotiate for lower rates with the US
'First, we raised the tariff issue. He (Rubio) said the letter (by Trump) is general and we still have one more month to negotiate,' PMX had told the media after the courtesy call by Rubio.
'He (Rubio) knows that Malaysia is one of US' key trading partners in the Southeast Asia region and he will take that into consideration and raise our views.'
But amid the current state of trust deficit on PMX and his Madani government , who can blame Malaysians for being pessimistic? – July 11, 2025
Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook
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