Tengku Zafrul clarifies PETRONAS LNG and Boeing purchases are existing commercial plans, not government expenses.
PETALING JAYA: PETRONAS’ LNG purchases from the United States, along with Boeing aircraft acquisitions by Malaysia Aviation Group, are part of existing commercial plans and do not involve government spending, clarified Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz in Parliament today.
Responding to social media claims and questions from Members of Parliament regarding “purchases amounting to RM1 trillion from the US”, Tengku Zafrul said the procurement lists under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) are not new.
Tengku Zafrul said that the purchases are part of companies’ existing procurement plans.
“What we do is ask MNCs and GLCs in the country about their planned purchases from the United States and list all those purchases.
“Even without tariffs, they would still buy, as these are planned procurements,” he said.
For instance, the purchase of Boeing aircraft by Malaysia Aviation Group was announced in March 2025, well before the tariff announcement by US President Donald Trump.
Similarly, PETRONAS’ LNG procurement plans predate the US tariff imposition.
The national oil and gas company has long sourced LNG from various countries, including the United States.
“Even before the tariff announcement, PETRONAS was buying LNG from the US. “But because we do not work at PETRONAS, upon hearing the announcement, people immediately reacted, even though this is not new,” Tengku Zafrul said.
He added that these procurements are part of commercial strategies to ensure supply stability and meet domestic and international contract commitments, and are not political directives from the US.
“A sovereign country must have diverse energy sources and options — that is energy security, not dependency,” he said.
