KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) decision to purchase Boeing aircraft was a strategic business move planned well in advance, not an irresponsible use of public funds, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz clarified.
He said the aircraft order, first announced in March, was funded by MAG and was unrelated to recent trade developments, including U.S. tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump.
“The U.S. imposed the 25 per cent tariff partly to address its trade deficit with Malaysia, as we were exporting more to them than we imported. These tariffs aimed to reduce that gap,” Zafrul explained in a post on X.
He noted that Malaysia had listed several major planned purchases from the U.S., including MAG’s Boeing order.
“But these purchases were not made solely to influence tariff reductions.”
Zafrul added that highlighting Malaysia as a significant buyer of U.S. goods helped persuade Washington to lower tariffs on Malaysian exports to 19 per cent.
“This is the result of strategic, well-negotiated efforts that balance corporate and national interests,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously announced in March that MAG would acquire 30 Boeing 737 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled through 2030. — BERNAMA
