The prime minister also rebuffed Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s suggestion that RCEP could be signed this year.

“No. We have to look into it (RCEP),” he told reporters after attending a roundtable discussion with Asean business leaders here today.

The discussion was chaired by Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC) chairman Mohd Munir Abdul Majid.

Mahathir asserted that Malaysia has also not made any commitment towards RCEP.

On Asean cooperation, Mahathir said Asean nations should cooperate more in terms of manufacturing and trading.

Asean nations have not made full use of the region’s assets, including their huge population, he said, adding that “although we are poor, the numbers are big (population)”.

Munir said there were mixed views from the Asean business community whether RCEP could be signed this year.

On the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Munir was optimistic that Malaysia would ratify the mega trade pact.

He said the CPTPP would open up Mexico and Canada’s markets to Malaysia as well as turn Malaysia into an investment destination in Asean for non-Asean CPTPP members.