PUTRAJAYA: A special Parliamentary sitting will be held on May 5 to discuss the issue of reciprocal tariffs recently proposed by the United States, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed.
The Prime Minister said this following a news report by a local daily quoting sources saying that all Members of Parliament will get to debate the issue.
When asked by reporters, “Is it true there will be a special Parliament session?”, the Prime Minister responded briefly but affirmatively, “Ada, ada.” (Yes, yes.)
To a follow-up question, “The 5th, Datuk Seri?, he replied, “Yes.”
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The special session is expected to provide a platform for both government and opposition MPs to debate Malaysia’s position on the matter.
Earlier, Sin Chew Daily reported that the Dewan Rakyat is expected to hold a special sitting on Monday (May 5), to focus on the issue of reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States on its trading partners.
According to sources, the Prime Minister’s Office has issued a notification regarding the meeting and is currently awaiting an official announcement from Anwar.
However, as of now, MPs have not yet received formal letters of notification.
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Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz is scheduled to visit Washington DC on April 24 for a two-day trip.
During this visit, he will meet with representatives from the United States Trade Representative (USTR), including Jamieson, as well as other relevant government officials, to discuss the proposed reciprocal tariffs.
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Tengku Zafrul previously said that the Malaysian delegation would take this opportunity to engage with various chambers of commerce, businesses and interest groups to explain Malaysia’s position and current situation, as well as the Cabinet’s feedback.
He emphasised that the visit is not intended for negotiations but to discuss how Malaysia can play a significant role in the supply chain between Asia and the US.