Malaysia’s Mahathir reports PM Anwar to police over ‘unconstitutional’ US trade deal

Ex-PM claims the deal lacks constitutional approval and undermines bumiputra privileges, which benefit ethnic Malays and indigenous groups

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Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a news conference at his office in Putrajaya, Malaysia in January 2024. Photo: AP

Published: 4:55pm, 2 Dec 2025Updated: 7:11pm, 2 Dec 2025

Mahathir Mohamad has lodged a police report against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding the Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) between Malaysia and the United States.

According to Sinar Harian, the former prime minister claimed that Anwar’s actions were taken without the full mandate of the entities meant to represent the Federation of Malaysia.

“The agreement is not valid because he [Anwar] is not the sole representative of the Federation. Such agreements should require the consent of four main entities: the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Dewan Rakyat, Council of Rulers, and the executive [government],” he said during a press conference after making the report at the Putrajaya District Police Headquarters on Tuesday.

Mahathir said approval from all four parties was not obtained, rendering the agreement unconstitutional.

“The agreement document is 400 pages long but has never been disclosed to the public,” he said. “There are many clauses stating that our country’s powers are handed over to the United States, requiring us to refer actions to them and allowing them to determine what can or cannot be done.”

Mahathir Mohamad claims a trade deal with the US undermines bumiputra rights and national sovereignty. Photo: EPA

Mahathir pointed out that the agreement did not explicitly mention the status of bumiputra, which refers to affirmative action policies that benefit ethnic Malays and indigenous groups.

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