MACHANG MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has called for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe the rationale of selling 30% of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) shares to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
This is following reports that GIP will be acquired by US-based global investment manager BlackRock, a firm that is reported to have investments in Israel in the third quarter of this year.
“I am urging PAC to summon those behind the deal to explain why we are selling MAHB’s shares to GIP,” Wan Fayhsal said when debating the SUHAKAM report in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (July 1).
GIP and ADIA are taking up a 30% stake in MAHB via a consortium led by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, with the rest to be owned by Khazanah (40%) and EPF (30%).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently explained that GIP was chosen to participate in the exercise to privatise MAHB as it accepted a requirement that MAHB’s majority shareholders, chairman and CEO must be Malaysian.
GIP had also previously clarified that BlackRock was not in any way been involved in the move to privatise MAHB.
In his monthly gathering with the Prime Minister’s Department on Monday (July 1), Anwar had also taken a swipe at the Opposition over allegations that GIP will take over MAHB.
He also reasserted that Khazanah and EPF will remain the major shareholders in the MAHB-GIP deal, saying that previously both entities had a 41% share but with the transition, 70% of the shares will belong to them.
“The Opposition argues that even with 30% they (GIP) can take over (the airport). I don’t know how they count,” he told the Dewan Rakyat. – July 1, 2024
