Digital Minister reprimands opposition lawmaker over terms in ART

Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari was told to read more and understand the digital sovereignty issue in the recently signed Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the US.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo reprimanded the opposition the lawmaker for giving an impression as if the government gave away its digital sovereignty.

“I request Pasir Mas to read properly the related articles. Agreement is different. Consult is different. These are basic words. I don’t understand why those on that side cannot understand simple language,” he told the opposition lawmaker during this ministerial question time in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

“Always raising terms. Read the document carefully. The question that I fielded is on ASEAN AI Safe. My reply is related to the discussions held with all the regional digital ministers.

My answer is yes there are discussions but the questions raised are as if there are no discussions, that there are constraints and so forth. What are you talking about?

“Don’t you understand at all?

“Every year, at the Asean level, we hold discussions in the best interest of the region.

“I agree with Tambun (the prime minister) — enough is enough. Politics has its limits. We want to do the best for the country. Read the document carefully.

“Ask more intelligent questions — I can answer them. But to repeat the same thing over and over again… until when?

“Let us build this country together. Yet, I find those on the other side unwilling to accept that the terms of the agreement clearly state it does not restrict our sovereignty or hand it over to anyone.”

Fadhli asked whether the ART would compromise Malaysia’s digital sovereignty and reduce the country to “just an algorithms lab for Silicon Valley companies”.