Why so 'desperate' to sell MAHB shares to GIP, MP asks

A PKR lawmaker has questioned Malaysia’s “desperation” to sell part of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to a consortium with purported Zionist links.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim pointed out that MAHB has been capable of managing 38 airports in the country and another one abroad all this while.

“Why is the government allowing the privatisation of MAHB, a company owned by the Malaysian government, leading to 30 percent of MAHB shares being sold to GIP?

“Is this kind of national investment policy progressive or regressive?” he queried in a statement yesterday.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, in January announced that it would be fully acquiring Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), with the deal expected to be finalised in the third quarter of this year, meaning between July and September.

The firm has close ties with Israel and invests heavily in weapons manufacturers that provide arms to the Zionist regime.

Two weeks ago, the Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), a consortium made up of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), GIP, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) announced an offer to take over shares in MAHB that are not already owned by Khazanah and EPF.

GIP and Adia are going into the consortium under the joint venture, GIP Aurea.

If the deal is completed, Khazanah and EPF will end up controlling 70 percent of MAHB, while GIP Aurea will hold another 30 percent.

As GIP owns 83.3 percent of GIP Aurea, its effective stake in MAHB would be 25 percent, according to The Edge.

‘A rock and a hard place’

The proposal has stirred criticism that a firm effectively owned by a pro-Zionist company would have a significant stake in Malaysian assets, which contradicts Malaysia’s stance against Israel.

Further, Hassan said he, as an MP who supports the Madani government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is stuck between a rock and a hard place when answering the people’s queries on the matter.

“How should I answer if the people ask me why Malaysia and its people are earnestly supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, but the government that I support is involved in allowing 30 percent of MAHB’s shares to fall into the hands of GIP and BlackRock, which backs Israel who launched the genocide in Gaza?” he said.

He urged Anwar, along with his cabinet, to terminate the agreement between Putrajaya or Khazanah with GIP as soon as possible.

“In terms of national, strategic and security interests, MAHB shares must not fall into the hands of foreign entities that are ‘clearly suspicious’.

“Allow local private companies owned by Malaysians to own the remaining 30 percent of the shares after Khazanah and EPF control 70 percent.”