KUALA LUMPUR (April 8): Malaysian officials will be heading to the US to initiate dialogue, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday, after a steep 24% tariff from the world’s largest economy.

There may be limited opportunity to change the US’ mind on the “underlying intent,” Anwar acknowledged in his opening speech at the Asean Investment Conference 2025. However, he said there may still be room to nudge the US’ policy’s implementation.

“We do not believe in megaphone diplomacy,” he said. “As part of our soft diplomacy of quiet engagement, we will be despatching our officials to Washington to begin the process of dialogue.”

Malaysian representatives will be joining a long queue of foreign officials seeking to meet with the Americans to negotiate sweeping reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% imposed on all US trading partners. Meanwhile, the European Union, Canada and China have all said they plan to retaliate.

Malaysia has also consistently said that it would negotiate with its third-largest trading partner and stressed that its tariffs were merely a sliver of the 47% that the Trump administration claimed were imposed on US goods imported into Malaysia.

“In the meantime, Malaysia will adapt, as we always have,” Anwar said on Tuesday. “Winds may shift, but we do not drift.”

Malaysia is diversifying and strengthening trade ties with key markets across the EU, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, he said. While Malaysia is committed to maintaining strong trade relations with the US, the country will take all steps to protect its economic interests, Anwar added.

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