'Worst since Merdeka': Ex-AG Tommy Thomas joins chorus of condemnation against Anwar's trade deal with US

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas has come out strongly against the so-called US-Malaysia "reciprocal" trade agreement signed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as Putrajaya continues to defend the deal described by opposition leaders as a death knell to Malaysia's trade independence and sovereignty.

"Never under the British empire did the colonial and imperialist power exercise such a degree of direct control and influence over Malaya’s economy. Hence, we will be much worse off after 68 years of Merdeka. The US trade treaty is far more sinister and insidious: it is neo-imperialism at its worst. And to think that Malaysians freely and voluntarily agreed to this," wrote Thomas in an article published by news portal Malaysiakini.

Thomas said the various commitments imposed on Malaysia showed that those involved in the negotiations – from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Attorney-General’s Chambers – "did not negotiate at all".

"The US handed them their draft. And it was signed lamely by Anwar, who had Trump’s pen to show for it, and a ride in Trump’s car," he said, referring to Donald Trump's gift of a White House pen to Anwar shortly after the latter signed the agreement on Oct 26, on the sidelines of the Asean Summit during the US president's stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

The agreement, said Thomas, is "undoubtedly the worst agreement that independent Malaya/Malaysia has entered into since Merdeka".

"This is whether one considers from the legal perspective or the political, economic, or geo-strategic viewpoint."

He said that since independence in 1957 and after the formation of Malaysia, every prime minister had managed to resist pressure to become an ally of Washington.

He noted that the late Tunku Abdul Rahman had consistently snubbed US presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy in their attempts to find regional allies during the Vietnam War.

"Despite President Lyndon Johnson visiting Kuala Lumpur in 1965, Tunku refused to support the US in the Vietnam War.

"Until the Anwar Ibrahim administration took office in 2022, every prime minister kept the US at arm’s length," said Thomas.

Thomas said the sudden shift towards Washington was due to Anwar's failure to deal with Trump as an equal head of government.

"Anwar was in awe of Trump," he said, adding that the prime minister was also desperate to host Trump "on the pretext of an Asean Summit".

Thomas, who served as the chief legal adviser to the government during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's second term in office, listed 19 expressions in the agreement that showed US domination over Malaysia.

He called on Putrajaya to abandon the agreement "as soon as possible", saying it could make use of two escape clauses, one of which is by not giving written notice within 60 days, which could prevent the deal from coming into force.

Thomas said Anwar could "save face" by putting the deal to a vote in the Dewan Rakyat, giving him a reason to terminate the agreement without angering "his hero, Trump".

"Whatever it is, Malaysia should renounce this agreement as soon as possible. It is disastrous and an insult to our dignity as a sovereign, independent nation," he added.

The signing of the deal by Anwar has renewed accusations of the Pakatan Harapan chairman's leaning towards US and Western policies, a claim cited by Mahathir as far back as 1998 when he sacked Anwar from the government during the height of the Asian financial crisis.

At the heart of public outrage over the deal are provisions that oblige Malaysia to become a direct participant in US economic conflicts.

It states that if Washington imposes sanctions or tariffs on any third country for national security reasons, Malaysia "shall adopt or maintain a measure with equivalent restrictive effect", effectively ending Malaysia’s long-held foreign policy of non-alignment and mirroring US sanctions against other nations.