US may use trade deal with Malaysia as model : MIER
Bernama | 2009/09/02
US may use trade deal with Malaysia as model : MIER
THE US is keen to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Malaysia and to use it as a role model for the world’s largest economy to sign similar agreements with other Muslim countries, says Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohammed Ariff Abdul Kareem, executive director of the Malaysia Institute of Economic Research (MIER).
He said the US was very eager to sign an FTA agreement with East Asian countries as it wanted to return to East Asia in a big way.
Mohammed Ariff said the region was somehow ignored during the previous administrations, and the US now wanted to redress this.
"So, I think they are very keen, especially with Malaysia, because this is the only moderate Muslim country which they want to have an agreement with.
"It will be a role model for similar agreements which they will ink with other Muslim countries. This is why I think the US is very keen on concluding this FTA with Malaysia," he said in an interview yesterday.
