Anwar, govt apply to strike out MPs’ suit over Malaysia-US trade deal

 The opposition MPs have also filed an application seeking referral of constitutional questions to the Federal Court regarding the reciprocal trade agreement.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US president Donald Trump signed the trade agreement in Kuala Lumpur last October. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the government have filed an application to strike out an originating summons brought by five opposition MPs against them over the reciprocal trade agreement signed between Malaysia and the US in October last year.

Federal counsel Sallehuddin Ali informed the High Court of this during case management before Justice Azizan Arshad, Bernama reported.

P Waythamoorty, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, told the court that his clients had also filed an application seeking referral of constitutional questions to the Federal Court regarding the agreement.

The court then fixed Oct 8 to hear both matters.

On Feb 20, the US Supreme Court ruled that president Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to hit nearly all of America’s trading partners with reciprocal tariffs was unconstitutional.

Upholding a lower court’s findings, the apex court also ruled that Trump overstepped his presidential powers when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 1977 to impose sweeping global tariffs, as well as fentanyl-related duties on goods from China, Canada and Mexico.

Malaysia and the US signed the trade agreement on Oct 26, 2025.

The five MPs who filed the summons are Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), Fathul Huzir Ayob (Gerik), Awang Hashim (Pendang), Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah) and Abdul Khalid Abdullah (Rompin).

They are seeking a ruling from the Federal Court on constitutional issues regarding the validity of the agreement, which they allege was signed without proper parliamentary approval. - FMT