About 30 anti-Israel activists, including politicians, demonstrated against the planned acquisition of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) at the Transport Ministry in Putrajaya this morning.
Starting at 11am, the demonstration, which included Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, was to protest the purported acquisition by a consortium with Zionist links.
The group, called the Palestine Solidarity Secretariat (SSP), submitted a memorandum of protest to a ministry representative, demanding the government cancel the shareholding acquisition process.
Wan Fayhsal said the government should not attack the opposition for opposing the project but understand that Malaysians are opposed to the sale of MAHB shares.
“What we are raising is not a partisan political issue. The government today is attacking the opposition because it cannot answer all the allegations and criticisms made by the SSP.
“The government has forgotten that it is not only the opposition, but Malaysians are objecting to the sale of shares,” he said during a press conference at the Transport Ministry.
On May 15, Gateway Development Alliance (GDA) and its shareholders announced a pre-conditional voluntary offer to acquire all the shares in MAHB not yet owned by the consortium at an offer price of RM11 a share, according to Bernama.
The consortium is led by two government-linked investment companies - Khazanah via its wholly owned unit UEM Group Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
The consortium’s shareholders also comprise a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) and funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), one of the world’s premier infrastructure investors and an experienced airport owner and manager.
GIP is wholly owned by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, and is connected to Lockheed Martin, a company that supplies arms used against Palestinians.
Did US influence acquisition?
Elaborating, Wan Fayhsal asked whether the government was pressured into greenlighting the acquisition by the United States following a visit by the country’s officials to Malaysia recently.
“Was the acquisition approved due to the insistence of a US Treasury official (Brian Nelson) who spoke about possible sanctions (against Malaysia for supporting Palestine)?
“We (protestors) may differ in political ideologies, but in questions surrounding BlackRock and the country’s strategic assets, we are in agreement and today we are here to protest.
“This is an important issue that the government has yet to address,” he said.
Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim dismissed reports claiming that a pro-Zionist foreign company would acquire 25 percent of MAHB shares.
Calling the claims baseless, he accused the opposition of trying to incite the public against the government by making the allegation.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke had also asserted that the claim was unfounded.
Meanwhile, SSP spokesperson Tian Chua said the acquisition was an “unwise” move that goes against the government’s vocal support of the Palestinian cause.
“This goes against the government’s stance and the aspirations of Malaysians. Therefore, this month, my politician and NGO friends are gathered to hand a memorandum to remind the government to take a consistent stance (on the Palestine issue).
“We also urge the government to call off the deal with GIP to defend the country’s strategic assets,” he said.
According to him, Putrajaya should review the plan and find a different investment partner that does not have Zionist links.
The memorandum was accepted by the transport minister’s secretary Rosli Muhammad.
In the memorandum, SSP urged the government to thoroughly and professionally answer all questions arising on the MAHB acquisition to the public.
The group asked for the acquisition process to be stopped, as a sign of the government’s support for Palestine.
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