Mahathir said the agreement contradicted several provisions in the Federal Constitution concerning Malay and Bumiputera rights, as well as the position of the Malay rulers and state governments.
He cited Article 153 of the constitution, which ensures that the Bumiputeras have access to “such proportion” of positions in the public service, scholarships, as well as permits and licences for any trade or business.
At a press conference here today, Mahathir also claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim needed to obtain the Dewan Rakyat’s approval before signing the deal with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asean Summit, due to the contradictions with the constitution.
“Anwar has done something that violates the constitution. He does not have the right to mortgage our nation.
“If he wanted to take such an action, he should have brought it to the Dewan Rakyat, (put it to a vote) and obtained a two-thirds majority (of MPs backing the trade deal).
“This agreement with the US actually removes our national freedom and independence. It is extremely one-sided,” he said.
He also claimed the deal effectively tied Malaysia to the US’s interests, leaving the country unable to make decisions independently.
Last week, Anwar rubbished claims that the agreement affected Malaysia’s sovereignty, saying it could be terminated if necessary under an exit clause.
Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz also said Putrajaya was not obligated to follow the US in imposing customs duties, prohibitions or import restrictions on goods and services from other nations under the deal.
Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia would have faced higher tariffs had it not signed the agreement with the US, warning that such a situation would have hurt the nation’s competitiveness, investment climate, and job market.
But Mahathir said the exit clause contradicted the actual terms of the deal.
He claimed that Malaysia was now tied to US interests and cannot sign any deal with other countries without referring it to Washington first.
Asean signed an upgraded trade agreement with China just days after the Malaysia-US deal was signed. Anwar had said this debunked claims the nation and regional bloc were intimidated by the US.
Mahathir nonetheless maintained that the deal meant Malaysia had lost access to other markets and allowed Washington to interfere in key sectors like food, manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications, defence, and mining.
“We have lost our right to determine what benefits our nation.
“The so-called ‘exit clause’ cited by the prime minister is a deception. The only exit clause now is for Anwar and his Cabinet to take responsibility and resign,” he said.