EIGHT Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MPs have urged the government to explain in detail and officially confirm the cancellation of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) between Malaysia and the United States through diplomatic channels between the two countries.
In a joint statement on Monday, they said that while they welcomed the statement by the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who announced that the ART signed between Malaysia and the United States (US) was now cancelled, several important questions had yet to be officially clarified.
The statement was signed by Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli; Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa); Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya); Datuk Mohd Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau); S. Kesavan (Sungai Siput); Rodziah Ismail (Ampang); Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju); and Wong Chen (Subang).
According to them, the government needs to inform whether Malaysia has sent an official notice to the US government regarding the cancellation of the agreement and if Washington has confirmed the cancellation.
“The statement by the MITI minister so far has not answered whether the Malaysian government has officially written to the US government stating that the ART agreement has been definitively cancelled,” the statement read.
They also questioned if the official communication has been made, what response was received from the US government and whether the country has also confirmed that the agreement has been cancelled?
In addition, if the Malaysian government has not yet sent any official letter or diplomatic communication regarding the matter, they want an explanation on the basis used by the government to conclude that the ART is no longer applicable.
The MP also suggested that the government immediately write and officially confirm the cancellation of the ART and obtain the consent of the US government to avoid any confusion or different interpretations in the future.
They said this was important to ensure that Malaysia was not exposed to various interpretations of the agreement by the US, especially if there was a change of administration in the country in the future.
At the same time, they said that the weaknesses that occurred during the previous ART negotiation process cannot be ignored.
The ART was signed on October 26, 2025, during President Donald Trump's visit to Kuala Lumpur, but the two countries have yet to complete domestic legal procedures and exchange formal notifications for its ratification.
According to the MPs, the views advising the government not to rush into signing the agreement until the decision of the relevant case in the US Supreme Court is decided were allegedly ignored.
As a result, they claimed that the signed agreement was seen as biased, detrimental and potentially detrimental to the country's sovereignty.
In this regard, they urged that an investigation be conducted by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and International Relations (PSSC) chaired by Wong Chen.
According to them, the investigation could, among other things, involve summoning key individuals involved in the signing of the ART, including former MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, to give evidence before the committee.
In addition, they suggested that stronger safeguard measures be introduced in the future, including ensuring that every trade agreement is accompanied by a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis that is accessible to the people.
They also suggested that all future trade agreements require parliamentary approval before being signed. – March 16, 2026
