Mahathir seeks protection for small countries

TOKYO, June 11 (AFP): Malaysia's newly-elected prime minister called Monday for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to be "renegotiated".

He also urged protection for small countries in international trade.

Malaysia, along with 10 other countries, pushed ahead with the TPP in March despite Donald Trump having yanked the United States out of the huge multilateral trade deal.

But Mahathir Mohamad told a gathering in Tokyo he was "not very keen" on the agreement.

"We need TPP renegotiated," he said in a speech to the "Future of Asia" forum.

"We have to recognise: Just as there are infant industries, there are infant nations, nations which are just beginning to grow," he said.