
Tengku Zafrul, Chong Wei among recipients of Penang state honours
Tengku Zafrul will be honoured with the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), which carries the title Datuk Seri, followed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Penang Malay Association President Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yussof Abdul Latiff, and MMAG Holdings Berhad Executive Chairman Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador.
A total of 17 individuals will be awarded the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN), which also carries the title Datuk Seri, including Penang State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Long, Transport Ministry Secretary-General Datuk M Jana Santhiran, Communications Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, and national badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
Meanwhile, 11 individuals will be conferred the Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negeri (DMPN), and 118 will be awarded the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), both of which carry the title of Datuk.
Among the recipients of the DMPN are the Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Team (AMLA) Head Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali, Integrity and Standards Compliance Department Director and former Penang Police Chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad, as well as the Legal Aid Department Director-General Datuk Norazmi Mohd Narawi. - Bernama
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The Sun
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- The Sun
Malaysia insists on JAKIM halal standards for US imports
KUALA LUMPUR: Halal products imported from the US must adhere to Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) standards, affirmed Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. He clarified that while trade facilitation agreements were reached, halal certification integrity remains non-negotiable. 'What we have agreed with the US is to facilitate the process of importing halal products into Malaysia, but not to compromise on the halal standards,' he stated during a press conference. The remarks followed the US decision to reduce tariffs on Malaysian exports from 25 per cent to 19 per cent. Tengku Zafrul dismissed rumours of relaxed halal requirements, reiterating the government's unwavering stance. 'The government will not budge from our stance on this issue. So we hope that no party gives a misleading impression,' he added. - Bernama


The Sun
44 minutes ago
- The Sun
Malaysia holds firm in tariff talks with US, no red lines crossed
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has declined requests from the United States to eliminate excise duties on automobiles, tobacco and alcohol, as well as to waive import licensing requirements and fully liberalise equity ownership in strategic sectors during recent tariff negotiations. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the outcome of the negotiations did not cross any of Malaysia's 'red lines' or compromise its sovereign interests. 'In ensuring our domestic industries are protected and given sufficient space and opportunity to grow, we stood firm. We did not compromise,' he said at a media briefing today. Among the key demands from the US, he said, was the removal of excise duties. 'Excise duties in Malaysia apply to three main categories: automobiles, tobacco, and alcohol,' he explained. 'These duties are part of our domestic protection policy, particularly for the automotive sector, which we view as a strategic industry vital to our economy. In this context, maintaining these duties is a matter of national interest.' While acknowledging that the US similarly considers the automotive industry significant, Tengku Zafrul underscored that Malaysia would not accede to calls for greater market openness at the expense of its strategic sectors. 'That was a red line for us,' he said. Malaysia also chose to maintain its requirement for import permits on US products. 'We stood our ground and will continue to require import permits,' Tengku Zafrul affirmed. He added that Malaysia also rejected proposals for full liberalisation of equity ownership in key strategic sectors. 'We did not proceed with that,' he said. Other sensitive areas highlighted included the imposition of export duties and blanket exemptions from import licensing for US goods. 'These were among the core issues related to our national economic and security priorities,' he noted. On commercial cooperation, Tengku Zafrul reaffirmed Malaysia's earlier commitments, including the planned purchase of Boeing aircraft. 'We've committed to acquiring 30 Boeing aircraft in the first phase, and an additional 30 in the second phase. We've reiterated that commitment.' Malaysia presented the US with a comprehensive tariff proposal covering 98% of all tariff lines, Tengku Zafrul said. 'In other words, we offered a broad and inclusive package encompassing nearly all tariff categories.' Out of 11,260 tariff lines requested by the US, Malaysia agreed to set 6,911 lines – about 61% – at zero duty. 'We believe certain industries are still not ready for full liberalisation, so we have taken a measured approach,' he added. The negotiations also addressed non-tariff barriers as part of Malaysia's broader effort to position itself as a trade- and investment-friendly economy. 'We've implemented several progressive enhancements to facilitate trade and investment, benefiting both local and international stakeholders,' Tengku Zafrul said. He confirmed that exports of Malaysian semiconductor and pharmaceutical products to the US would remain exempt from the new tariffs. 'At this stage, exports of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals will continue to enjoy zero tariff,' he said. A joint statement on the final tariff arrangement between Malaysia and the US is expected to be issued this weekend. The new 19% tariff on certain Malaysian goods is scheduled to take effect on Aug 8.


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
US' request gets Malaysian nod for zero rate on nearly 7,000 tariff lines
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia agrees to reduce tariff rates to zero for 6,911 out of 11,260 tariff lines or products requested by the US, representing 61 per cent, as part of reciprocal negotiations with the country. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the move is part of efforts to strengthen market access and promote a more open flow of bilateral trade between the two nations. "This is a systematic and orderly approach to determining Malaysia's final offer to the US. "We have submitted a comprehensive offer covering 98 per cent of all tariff lines, but only agreed to liberalise 61 per cent of them," he said in a media briefing today. Tengku Zafrul also shared several red lines that Malaysia successfully defended during the tariff negotiations with the United States, which led to the 19 per cent tariff rate being announced for Malaysia. He said these included the imposition of excise duties, the removal of import licenses for United States products, liberalisation of equity ownership in strategic sectors, and Bumiputera privileges. "They asked us to eliminate excise duties, which as you know, are imposed on three items: cars, tobacco, and alcohol. "The automotive industry is important to the US, but we also have our own automotive industry, employing 700,000 workers. "We have a national car project and a broad supply chain. In other industries, we do not impose excise duties. "They see this as unfair, but other exporting countries face similar situations. "We have our own policies to ensure we remain competitive. "For now, I think we are not ready to remove these barriers, including equity ownership in strategic sectors, and some of their requests to review laws concerning digital platforms," he added. On matters concerning economic and national security, Tengku Zafrul said several measures have been put in place. He said these include the tightening of the issuance of Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin to address transshipment and false declarations of origin. He also added that the ministry is the sole issuer of the certificate for exports to the United States effective May 6. Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia has also strengthened control on exports of artificial intelligence chips originating from the United States by invoking Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010 under catch-all control provisions. At the same time, he said the country has committed to not imposing any export restrictions on rare earth elements or other critical minerals. Overall, Tengku Zafrul said the government hopes that the announcement of the tariff rates will provide certainty to exporters and industry players. "The ministry also urges industry players to fully leverage Malaysia's 18 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to diversify and expand their export markets," he said.