KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition member of parliament's memorandum to protest against the sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) shares to a consortium, which includes Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), should be sent to the right place.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry only acts as a regulator in the matter and it is not involved in the company's business deals.
"You (Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal) are knocking on the wrong door. If you want to submit a memorandum, you should go to Khazanah, not the Transport Ministry.
"We have nothing to do with MAHB's action or decision to undertake a strategic partnership with any party.
"We don't have shares with MAHB. We are just the regulator, so who the operator wants to form a partnership with is beyond our control."
Loke's reaction came after Wan Fayhsal and several anti-Israel activists had demonstrated against the planned acquisition of MAHB at the Transport Ministry in Putrajaya this morning.
Previously, Loke dismissed opposition claims regarding a plan to sell a stake in MAHB, which is the main concession holder for airports in Malaysia — with 39 airports nationwide, to GIP.
On May 15, Khazanah Nasional Bhd announced that it is now leading a consortium, the Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), in a conditional voluntary offer to buy all shares in MAHB that it does not already own.
The consortium's shareholders also include a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and GIP, through GIP Aurea Pte Ltd.
Following this, several parties have voiced objections and concerns over the proposed sale of a 30 per cent stake in MAHB to GIP, which is a subsidiary of Blackrock, a pro-Israel investment firm.