KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) acquisition of Boeing aircraft is a pre-planned business decision fully funded by the company, not taxpayers’ money, as clarified by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Responding to criticism, Tengku Zafrul emphasised that the purchase was announced in March, well before the US imposed new import tariffs.
“What does this purchase have to do with tariff negotiations?” he questioned in a post on X.
The US introduced tariffs to address trade deficits, prompting Malaysia to highlight major planned purchases, including MAG’s Boeing order.
“We are not making the purchase just to reduce tariffs,“ he stated, adding that the move helped lower US tariffs on Malaysian goods from 25% to 19%.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier confirmed MAG’s order for 30 Boeing 737 aircraft, with deliveries expected by 2030. – Bernama
