The participation of the US requires the approval of the US Congress by next February, about three months after the US presidential election. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two main candidates in the election, have said they are opposed to the TPPA.

“The TPPA cannot proceed without the US as the country was responsible for bringing it about and forcing other countries to make compromises,” Klang MP Charles Santiago told FMT.

Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen agreed, saying it would be “almost impossible” for the deal to go through without US participation because it represented part of the “American geo-political agenda”.

“What will happen is that the would-be TPPA partners will negotiate for bilateral free trade agreements,” he said.

“Controversial clauses on ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement) and investments will probably disappear if deals are negotiated bilaterally.”

ISDS entitles an investing firm to challenge the laws of a country if it believes they violate the provisions of the TPPA.

Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) President Azmi Abdul Hamid said he didn’t believe the deal would be cancelled simply because Clinton and Trump were now against it.

“Corporate lobbyists in the US will not be silent,” he said.

“Perhaps they will leave the two candidates alone while they are campaigning but will later negotiate with the winner.”

Azmi urged civic groups disagreeing with Malaysia’s participation in the TPPA to work with Americans who are also opposed to the agreement.

Wong said Clinton would be more likely than Trump to yield to corporate pressure if elected president.

Santiago said he had been informed about a meeting between corporate lobbyists and White House representatives to develop strategies to support the agreement.

“So getting it passed in the lame duck period is real,” he said, referring to the period between the end of Barack Obama’s tenure and the swearing-in of the new president.