When Trump Comes To Town: Malaysia Must Lead ASEAN, Not Follow It.

By Datuk Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid Jumat

Johor State Legislative Assemblyman, Kempas N47 (2013-2018).

1. The 45th & 47th President of the United States’ visit to Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur will not be a courtesy call. It will be a mission of interest. Washington under Donald J Trump sees the region not as partners of equals, but as pieces on a chessboard in America’s contest with China. At the heart of that game lies one glittering prize: ASEAN’s critical minerals, the lifeblood of modern technology and defense.

2. Strategic minerals are now seen as national security assets. For example, the U.S. is actively working to secure supplies of rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical minerals to reduce dependence on dominant suppliers (especially China).

3. Malaysia is a possible source. Reports indicate Malaysia has large REE / critical mineral reserves estimated around 16 million metric tonnes worth about RM500 billion and is positioning to refine/ upgrade its capacity.  

4. Even if we do sign with the US on the REE deal, China will not flinch as their technology is way superior than any other competing country and they know it will be at the earliest 5 years before the US can see the results.

5. Malaysia however could be at a disadvantage as China would then not likely share any technologies with us in the future.

6. Trump’s America will come with smiles, handshakes, and the promise of “mutual prosperity”, with a touch of intimidation. Yet behind the charm lies the same strategic hunger to secure trade routes, gain mineral access, and pull Southeast Asia closer to the U.S. supply chain. Malaysia, with its rare earth reserves and strategic location, will naturally be at the top of that list.

7. He will talk about partnership, but what he really seeks is leverage. Trump’s record shows he respects strength and exploits weakness. Those who bend quickly earn deals that benefit Washington first; those who stand firm earn his grudging respect. If ASEAN countries line up too eagerly, Malaysia must not be swept along by the tide of flattery.

8. The challenge for us is delicate, ie to defend our national interest without offending our neighbours. If others choose to sign away their mineral rights or open their markets too widely, that is their sovereign choice. But Malaysia must stand its ground. Our message should be calm and clear: we support regional cooperation, but not at the cost of Malaysia’s long-term security and control.

9. When Trump speaks of “rebalancing trade,” he means tilting it his way. When he speaks of “supply-chain security,” he means making sure the U.S. controls the source. Malaysia cannot afford to be dazzled by short-term investment promises or fast-talking envoys. We have seen how deals that look generous today can chain us tomorrow.

10. Our leadership must also recall the lessons of Al Gore’s 1998 visit, when a U.S. leader used our own stage to lecture us. That moment burned into our memory, a reminder that American diplomacy often turns moralistic when we disagree. Trump may not moralize, but he threatens. His language is different, yet the pressure is the same.

11. If that moment comes again; a threat of tariffs, a warning about “choosing sides,” or hints of diplomatic chill, Malaysia must respond with quiet firmness. No shouting, no surrender. Just the confidence of a nation that knows its value. We can work with the U.S., but only on equal footing.

12. To keep that balance, Malaysia should rally ASEAN not as followers but as partners in principle. We can propose a collective framework for critical-mineral trade; transparent, fair, and respecting national sovereignty. This allows every member to deal with the U.S. without being isolated or bullied individually. Unity is not submission; it is protection.

13. At home, we must also strengthen our own industry. Instead of exporting raw materials, Malaysia should demand joint ventures, technology sharing, and local processing rights. Whoever wants our minerals must invest in our people, not just our ground.

14. We must remember: respect in global politics is earned not by compliance, but by consistency. The U.S. respects nations that know what they want,  even if it frustrates them. Malaysia’s best shield is clarity, backed by calm strength.

15. Trump’s ASEAN charm offensive will test every leader’s resolve. Some may yield for convenience; others may overreact for pride. Malaysia must choose a wiser middle path that is cooperative, but uncompromising in principle.

16. And when the last handshake fades, the speeches end, and the streets in the capital are returned to the KL folks,  let it be known that Malaysia may trade with everyone but will be owned by no one.

** _The writer is a Malaysian citizen who believes sovereignty begins with self-respect._

Lawatan Trump ke KL: Malaysia Harus Memimpin ASEAN, Bukan Sebagai Pengikut.

Oleh Datuk Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid Jumat

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Johor, Kempas N47 (2013-2018)

1. Lawatan Presiden Amerika Syarikat ke Asia Tenggara di Kuala Lumpur bukan sekadar kunjungan hormat. Ia adalah misi berkepentingan. Washington di bawah Donald J. Trump melihat rantau ini bukan sebagai rakan setara, tetapi sebagai bidak di papan catur dalam persaingan Amerika dengan China. Di tengah-tengah permainan itu terletak satu hadiah yang berkilau iaitu sumber mineral kritikal ASEAN, nadi utama teknologi dan pertahanan moden.

2. Mineral strategik kini dilihat sebagai aset keselamatan negara. Sebagai contoh, Amerika Syarikat sedang giat berusaha mendapatkan bekalan unsur nadir bumi (REE) dan mineral kritikal lain bagi mengurangkan kebergantungan terhadap pembekal utama, khususnya China.

3. Malaysia berpotensi menjadi salah satu sumber tersebut. Laporan menunjukkan negara kita memiliki rizab nadir bumi (REE) atau mineral kritikal yang dianggarkan sekitar 16 juta tan metrik bernilai lingkungan RM500 billion, dan kini sedang menambah baik kapasiti pemprosesan serta penapisan dalam sektor ini.

4. Jikapun kita menandatangani perjanjian REE dengan Amerika Syarikat kelak, China tidak akan gentar kerana teknologi mereka jauh lebih maju berbanding mana-mana negara pesaing, dan mereka tahu bahawa Amerika sekurang-kurangnya memerlukan sepaling cepat tempoh lima tahun sebelum dapat melihat hasilnya nanti.

5. Malaysia pula mungkin berada dalam keadaan yang merugikan, kerana China selepas itu berkemungkinan tidak lagi akan berkongsi sebarang teknologi dengan kita pada masa hadapan.

6. Amerika di bawah Trump akan datang dengan senyuman, jabat tangan, dan janji “kemakmuran bersama”, dengan sentuhan intimidasi. Namun di sebalik pesona itu tersembunyi keinginan strategik untuk menguasai laluan perdagangan, mendapatkan akses kepada sumber mineral, dan menarik Asia Tenggara lebih rapat ke dalam rantaian bekalan Amerika. Malaysia, dengan rizab nadir bumi dan kedudukannya yang strategik, sudah pasti menjadi sasaran utama.

7. Trump akan berbicara tentang “perkongsian,” tetapi apa yang sebenarnya dicari ialah pengaruh. Rekodnya menunjukkan beliau menghormati kekuatan dan mengeksploitasi kelemahan. Negara yang mudah tunduk akan menerima perjanjian yang lebih menguntungkan Washington terlebih dahulu; manakala mereka yang berpendirian teguh akan mendapat penghormatan yang berat hati daripadanya. Jika negara-negara ASEAN lain terlalu cepat melutut, Malaysia tidak boleh turut hanyut dalam arus pujian dan janji manis.

8. Cabaran bagi kita amat halus iaitu mempertahankan kepentingan negara tanpa menyinggung jiran. Jika negara lain memilih untuk menyerahkan hak mineral mereka atau membuka pasaran mereka seluas-luasnya, itu hak kedaulatan mereka. Namun Malaysia mesti berdiri teguh. Pesanan kita harus tenang tetapi jelas: kita menyokong kerjasama serantau, namun bukan dengan menggadaikan keselamatan dan kawalan jangka panjang Malaysia.

9. Apabila Trump bercakap tentang “imbangan perdagangan,” maksudnya ialah mengimbang ke arah Amerika. Apabila beliau menyebut tentang “keselamatan rantaian bekalan,” maksud sebenarnya ialah memastikan Amerika menguasai sumbernya. Malaysia tidak boleh terpesona dengan janji pelaburan jangka pendek atau pujukan delegasi perwakilan yang petah berkata-kata. Kita sudah melihat bagaimana perjanjian yang tampak murah hati hari ini boleh menjadi belenggu pada esok hari.

10. Kepimpinan kita juga harus mengingati pengajaran daripada lawatan Al Gore pada tahun 1998, ketika Naib Presiden Amerika itu menggunakan pentas kita untuk menegur negara kita sendiri. Detik itu terpahat dalam ingatan, sutu peringatan bahawa diplomasi Amerika sering berubah menjadi bersifat mengajar apabila kita tidak sehaluan dengan mereka. Trump mungkin tidak bermoral tinggi dalam tutur katanya, tetapi beliau tahu mengugut. Bahasanya berbeza, namun tekanannya tetap sama.

11. Sekiranya detik itu berulang, cuma kali ini dengan ancaman tarif, amaran untuk  “memihak,” atau bayangan hubungan dingin, Malaysia mesti bertindak dengan ketegasan dalam tenang tanpa  jeritan, tanpa menunduk. Hanya keyakinan sebuah negara yang tahu nilainya. Kita boleh bekerjasama dengan Amerika, tetapi hanya di atas dasar kesetaraan.

12. Untuk mengekalkan keseimbangan ini, Malaysia perlu memimpin ASEAN bukan sebagai pengikut, tetapi sebagai rakan sehaluan dalam prinsip. Kita boleh mencadangkan satu kerangka bersama bagi perdagangan mineral kritikal yang telus, adil, dan menghormati kedaulatan setiap negara. Pendekatan ini membolehkan setiap anggota berunding dengan Amerika tanpa perlu berhadapan dengan tekanan atau pengasingan secara individu. Kesatuan bukanlah penyerahan; ia adalah perlindungan.

13. Di dalam negara, kita juga mesti memperkukuh industri kita sendiri. Daripada mengeksport bahan mentah sebegitu sahaja Malaysia perlu menuntut usaha sama, perkongsian teknologi, dan hak pemprosesan tempatan. Sesiapa yang mahukan mineral kita mesti turut melabur dengan rakyat kita dan bukan sekadar mengambil kesempatan keatas tanah kita.

14. Kita mesti ingat: penghormatan dalam politik antarabangsa tidak diperoleh melalui kepatuhan, tetapi melalui ketegasan pendirian. Amerika menghormati negara yang tahu apa yang diinginkan, walaupun mereka tidak menyukainya. Perisai terbaik Malaysia ialah kejelasan pendirian, disertai kekuatan yang tenang.

15. Serangan pesona Trump terhadap ASEAN akan menguji keteguhan setiap pemimpin. Ada yang mungkin tunduk demi kemudahan; ada pula yang melawan demi ego. Malaysia mesti memilih jalan tengah yang lebih bijaksana iaitu bekerjasama, tanpa sekali-kali berkompromi dengan prinsip.

16. Dan apabila berjabat-salam terakhir berlalu, ucapan-ucapan selesai, dan jalan-jalan di ibu kota dikembalikan kepada rakyat Kuala Lumpur, biarlah dunia tahu bahawa Malaysia boleh memilih untuk berdagang dengan sesiapa, namun tidak akan dimiliki oleh sesiapa.

** _Penulis adalah seorang warganegara Malaysia yang percaya bahawa kedaulatan bermula dengan maruah diri.

SACK THE MINISTER!

 

1. This note draws the Madani leadership’s attention to the growing public unease and administrative concern surrounding the conduct of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

2. While his energy and visibility in promoting Malaysia are acknowledged, the repeated controversies during his tenure have become a liability to the government’s image—particularly among the Malay Muslim majority, whose cultural and religious sensitivities must always be safeguarded.

3. The minister’s tenure has been marred by one controversy after another, each one eroding the dignity of the office he holds. From the serving of alcohol at an official tourism gala, to his deputy’s misguided proposal of branding Langkawi as a “preferred Muslim destination,” and even a national promotional video that managed to omit every symbol of Islam—these are not minor oversights but repeated failures of cultural intelligence and respect.

4. Earlier storms, including his public dismissal of local religious enforcement as “scaring off tourists,” have left a lingering perception that the sensitivities of the Muslim majority are a nuisance rather than a national foundation. Even if denied, the pattern of provocation has become impossible to ignore.

5. His habit of crossing ministerial lines—bursting into border operations at KLIA or publicly rebuking DBKL for signage enforcement—may project bravado, but it tramples the principle of Cabinet discipline. What should have been inter-agency coordination too often turns into personal theatre at the expense of government cohesion.

6. The minister’s public interventions have grown increasingly combative, trading tact for soundbites. Every controversy fuels another headline; every apology arrives only after the damage is done. The cumulative effect has been a trail of embarrassment that now threatens to stain the government’s collective reputation.

7. Collectively, these incidents reveal lapses in judgment, discretion, and cultural awareness inconsistent with the standards expected of a federal minister. The tourism portfolio requires tact, diplomacy, and an instinct for unity—qualities not consistently reflected in his leadership.

8. With Malaysia approaching Visit Malaysia Year 2026, continued controversy within the Tourism Ministry threatens to overshadow national branding efforts and risk alienating domestic constituencies whose confidence is vital to the campaign’s success.

9. It is therefore prudent for the Madani leadership to consider a change of leadership within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. A new minister with a deeper appreciation for Malaysia’s multicultural sensitivities and stronger inter-ministerial coordination would help restore confidence, stability, and focus.

10. The time has come for the Cabinet—especially UMNO and those entrusted with upholding the confidence of the Malay Muslim majority—to demand the removal of this minister who repeatedly provokes the boundaries of public patience and Malay Muslim sensitivities.

11. Each silence risks being read as consent, and every uncorrected slight deepens the wound of perception. Leadership is not about defending the indefensible, but about recognising when the line of public tolerance has already been crossed.

12. If the latest alcohol debacle at a ministry function is left without reprimand on the grounds that it was privately funded, we fear that female escorts and “GROs” might be the next level of entertainment used to “brighten up” future official events.

Surely, this cannot be the Madani way that this Prime Minister and government advocate with conviction.