Tengku Zafrul said his ministry was still in talks with stakeholders on the request.

Asked by reporters today to specify the affected sectors, he said: “It’s easy. I think you would know. These are strategic sectors, which are all under the law.

“We are still in talks with industry players and regulators,” he said on the sidelines of the International Healthcare Week opening ceremony today.

Malaysia currently imposes foreign equity caps in strategic sectors, including telecommunications. Other sticking points in negotiations with the US include non-tariff barriers related to halal certification and government procurement rules.

Yesterday, Tengku Zafrul said the US had also asked other nations to consider liberalising the foreign shareholding restrictions in force on some sectors.

Some sectors did not have such restrictions, while the manufacturing industry was “nearly all open”, he had said.

Earlier this month, the Donald Trump administration set a 25% import tariff on all Malaysian goods, saying the tariff would be imposed if a trade deal is not reached by Aug 1.