Trump’s tariff: The only two realistic options that Malaysia has

Trump’s tariff: The only two realistic options that Malaysia has


4 Apr 2025 • 4:00 PM MYT


TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher

Image credit: Jakarta Globe / Malay Mail


Now that Trump has gone gangster and hit the entire world with tariffs, what will Malaysia likely do to address the issue?


Well, I personally think that the first thing we can expect that Malaysia will do is try to address the matter of the tariff together with ASEAN as a bloc.


Can we expect any remedy to come out from ASEAN?


I doubt it.


The way I see it, what Trump has done is to hit the entire world with tariffs to see who will be the first to bend the knees and kiss his hands. Nations that are first to come to him with their tails between their legs and bow down to him will have their tariffs reduced while nations that do not will likely see their tariff maintained or increased.


Considering that, I don’t see why it is better for ASEAN nations to act in concert with each other rather than address their situation with America on a one-to-one basis.


It is not like all ASEAN nations are in one boat, for us to feel that we have to sink or swim together.


In terms of Tariff for example, the ASEAN nation that is hardest hit by Trump’s tariff is Cambodia with 49 percent, while Singapore was only inflicted with the minimum baseline 10 percent tariff. Considering that, it is hard to see how Singapore and Cambodia might see eye to eye in regards to how to address Trump’s tariff.


Many ASEAN nations are likely competitors, who might actually mistrust each other. It is doubtful if a proposal by one ASEAN member country, for example Indonesia, will be supported by another ASEAN nation, say Thailand, when it is quite likely that Thailand sees Indonesia as a competitor who is likely acting in its self-interest, which might not be in its own self -interest.


I don’t think that ASEAN countries will be able to trade more with each other to offset Trump’s tariff either.


I think the best way to predict how ASEAN countries will react to Trump’s tariff is by imagining how employees will behave when they are forced to take a pay cut and work more by an oppressive and exploitative third world boss.


Just because all the employees are against the boss’s decision, it doesn’t mean that they will all cooperate to take retaliatory measures against the boss.


It is quite unlikely that they will all decide to leave the company, pool their own resources and start their own company either.


Most likely, most of the employees will just resign themselves to their fate and accept their unfortunate circumstances, while groveling to their boss in the hopes that he will give them a more favourable deal as compared to the colleagues if they grovel to him.


Just because all employees suffer under an exploitative boss, it doesn’t mean that they all sympathize with each other’s plight – if any employee feels that under the new exploitative arrangement, they can individually gain in wealth, status or position, they will likely accept the deal, and abandon their colleagues without blinking an eyelid.


As it is with employees and their oppressive third world boss, so it is with ASEAN countries and Trump.


Right now, I feel that the best option for Malaysia is to actually seek a remedy for the tariff by taking to America on a one-to-one basis.


It is not hard to see what America wants – it likely want’s what all third world bosses want – they want you to kiss their hands, bend your knees, work to enrich them and support them in their desires and activities.


Trump has already stated that he wants to do things like rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, take ownership of Greenland and Gaza and perhaps even attack Iran. Whichever ASEAN that supports these initiatives, will likely see their tariff reduced.


Not only will they see their tariff reduced, their support for Trump might even be rewarded with favourable terms. In the new pecking order that Trump is trying to establish in the world, the countries that are first to bend their knees and kiss Trump’s hand, will probably be granted the permission to enrich themselves by exploiting the countries that came later or refuse to bend their knees or kiss Trump’s hand.


The way I see it, Malaysia only has two choices – we can either grovel to Trump to preserve the status and lifestyle that Malaysians are accustomed to having or we can choose to assert our dignity and self-respect, and become poor and resign ourselves to a difficult circumstances.


Our position vis-à-vis Trump is actually no different from the position of a Bangladeshi or Nepali foreign worker in Malaysia. We can talk until the cows come home about justice and fairness, but in the end, just like how the Bangladeshi and Nepali foreign worker will toe to the line of their third world boss, regardless of how exploitative, unjust and oppressive their third world boss is, we are likely going to have to toe to the line to Trump too.


Other than toe the line to Trump, our only other realistic option is in regards to what the competitor of America – meaning China – has to offer us.


If China is able to offer us a better and more dignified package, then lucky us, for we will not have to choose to either humiliate ourselves before Trump for our livelihood or contend with the prospect of poverty and hardship if we choose to retain our self-respect.


Otherwise, our choices are simple – either humiliate ourselves before Trump and choose to preserve our status and lifestyle or choose to “die standing rather than live kneeling” and suffer poverty and hardship for the sake of our dignity.