KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 21 -- New Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani told Parliament this morning that he plans to tighten loose clauses in the Agreement of Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the US, as he pledged to address all concerns around Malaysia's economic sovereignty.

Several clauses of the pact have been heavily criticised as lopsided to favour US companies, and critics argued the signing of the agreement was rushed while the Opposition was completely left out of the negotiations that should have gone through Parliament first.

Malaysia signed the agreement in October last year when US President Donald Trump attended the Asean Summit. Putrajaya later clarified the ART has not been ratified, leaving space ...