Anwar said the matter had already been clearly explained many times in Parliament by investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.

Malaysia’s balanced foreign policy had been well received at international forums such as the Asia-Pacific economic cooperation forum, Anwar said.

“If they choose to continue attacking, that is a matter of political consideration,” he said when met by reporters after the first day of the Apec economic leaders’ meeting here today.

Anwar was responding to Muhyiddin, who described the deal as containing “vague provisions and time bombs”, while Mahathir said he did not expect to see “independence handed over” during his lifetime.

Other opposition leaders have also questioned a requirement for Malaysia to “adopt or maintain” any prohibition or restriction imposed by the US on third countries deemed a threat to its economic or national security.

Anwar said Mahathir’s claims need not be taken seriously, as they might not have been based on facts but on inaccurate briefings from others.

“Surely he is not going to scrutinise everything in detail, analyse it, or trace the content,” he said.

As for Muhyiddin, Anwar said, he could not blame him either, as “he has to focus since Bersatu has split” in a reference to the internal turmoil the party is facing.

He added that Malaysia needs to attract foreign investment, high technology and artificial intelligence to strengthen its economic future.

“It does not matter whether with an American firm, Chinese firm, or Korean firm. We need to prepare and ensure that our younger generation benefits from this.

“And to do that we need patience and wisdom, not anger, not these rancorous, continuous rancorous exchanges,” he said.