Commentary: Critics and supporters of US-Malaysia trade deal only get it half right

KUALA LUMPUR: To say that the United States-Malaysia trade agreement infringes on Malaysia’s sovereignty may be an overstatement; to say it does not concern sovereignty at all lacks intellectual honesty. Contrary to the celebratory mood of the ASEAN Summit in October, where Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump signed the deal, the fine print of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade reflected legitimate concerns of Malaysia being absorbed into the US’ orbit. The Trump administration’s strategy is revealed in this agreement. And Southeast Asian countries with trade deficits with the US can reasonably presume that this constitutes…