https://www.malaysianow.com/news/20...athir-as-anger-mounts-over-trade-deal-with-us
Anwar should be charged with treason, says Mahathir as anger mounts over trade deal with US
It is the strongest response yet from the elderly leader about the Oct 26 agreement which has angered the Malaysian public.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must face charges of treason for signing the trade agreement with Washington on Oct 26 which has since sparked public outrage and criticism from experts and politicians.
"It is now clear that the statement by the government on the agreement with the US hid many serious undertakings by Malaysia to submit to the US," the former prime minister said.
He said the agreement commits Malaysia to concessions that "effectively put Malaysia under the control of the US".
"Malaysia has lost its independence.
"This is what Anwar has done. It is treason. Anwar must be charged for being treacherous," he said.
It is the strongest response yet from Mahathir about the deal, which has sparked public outrage over clauses seen as overwhelmingly favouring US interests.
Details of the deal only emerged to the Malaysian public after the White House published them on its official website hours after Trump signed it on the sideline of the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur last month.
At the heart of the outrage is a provision that obliges 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.
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