KUALA LUMPUR – Political stability is crucial for any country or economy to overcome mounting economic challenges amid global uncertainty, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said that without political stability, it would be difficult for a country to address the challenges ahead and maintain focus on economic priorities and the people’s welfare.
“If you don’t have the political stability, it is very, very difficult to overcome all these challenges,” he said in response to a question posed by Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, who moderated the Concorde Club programme titled “War and Tariffs: Our Response” held at Wisma Bernama here today.
Also in attendance were Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, as well as members of the local and foreign media based here.
Johari said the country should prioritise strengthening the economy and safeguarding the well-being of the people, especially as Malaysia continues to face fiscal limitations and a persistent budget deficit.
He said heavy subsidies continue to place pressure on government finances, making political stability even more critical to support sound policymaking and effective management of economic challenges.
“The more reason, I think, we need real political stability in this country. At least for now, we need that very much,” he said.
The minister stressed that he was not referring to any specific incident but was speaking in general terms, adding that political stability must be upheld across the country as a whole.
“The whole country must have that political stability,” he said.
On another matter, Johari said Malaysia has submitted an explanation to the United States (US) regarding allegations of structural excess capacity and production as well as the use of forced labour, which are among the issues being investigated under Section 301(b) of the US Trade Act of 1974.
"We have already submitted everything, and we have informed them that we don’t have any such issues," he said.
Recently, the US, through US Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer, launched investigations on 60 economies under Section 301(b) of the US Trade Act 1974, a section created, among other things, to address failures to take action against forced labour.
The list includes major US trading partners, including seven ASEAN countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. – April 28, 2026
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