ALOR STAR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has dared PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to name factories owned by BlackRock Inc in Kedah and Kelantan.
In passing the ball back to Nik Nazmi's court, Sanusi said the onus is on the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister to divulge details on the factories.
"I have no clue which factories he is referring to? He's the one who raised it, so he should name the factories.
"Show us where the factories are. Which laws can we use to shut down those factories?
"He should have dared all the states to open more factories, so that people can have jobs, not dare us to shut down factories.
"What kind of minister is this?" the Kedah Menteri Besar said in a press conference after presenting incentives to Kedah students who excelled in major examinations at Wisma Darul Aman today.
Commenting further, Sanusi said Nik Nazmi was trying to create a diversion from the mounting pressure against the government to retract the decision to sell part of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
In January, BlackRock acquired GIP, a leading independent infrastructure fund manager, for total consideration of US$3 billion of cash and approximately 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock.
"We are arguing about the sale of airports (MAHB), not the other sectors such as the capital market or manufacturing. Airports are critical assets as they are the gateway into the country.
"I could be either right or wrong, but when the factories (invested in Kedah and Kelantan) was there a genocide in Palestine?
"Back then, the people were unaware of what BlackRock is all about, so the issue did not arise," Sanusi said.
On Monday, Nik Nazmi had challenged PN to close down all factories owned by BlackRock Inc in Kedah and Kelantan, two of the four states held by PN.
LINK: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/1066494/opposition-files-moti...
Nik Nazmi issued the challenge in response to a PN leader's call for the federal government to end any dealings with BlackRock.
He was reported as saying that BlackRock is not only one of the biggest investors in the Malaysian stock market but also operates many factories in Kedah and Kelantan.
LINK:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/06/1067448/nik-nazmi-dares-pn-...