KUALA LUMPUR – Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has filed a motion to refer Transport Minister Anthony Loke to Parliament’s rights and privileges committee for allegedly misleading the Dewan Rakyat over shareholding issues related to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
The notice of motion to Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin was submitted today and shared with the media.
Wan Fayhsal said Loke, who is Seremban MP, should be referred to the committee for misleading the House in his parliamentary speech on March 11, in which he denied the sale of MAHB shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
Loke had also denied that Khazanah Nasional Bhd had sealed any agreement regarding MAHB shares.
Wan Fayhsal said Loke had “lied” because it was subsequently announced on May 15 that Khazanah via its wholly-owned subsidiary UEM Group Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) would lead a consortium called Gateway Development Alliance, which included GIP as one of its shareholders, in a privatisation exercise of MAHB.
The consortium had announced a pre-conditional voluntary offer to acquire all the shares in MAHB not already owned at an offer price of RM11 per share. Upon completion, GIP and another consortium shareholder, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, would own 30% of MAHB.
In addition to lying, Wan Fayhsal also accused Loke of making malicious statements against him by accusing the Bersatu MP of making assumptions.
“He (Loke) also accused me of ‘spin’ or of confusing the matter raised.
“Therefore, the statement by the Seremban MP, who is also the transport minister, clearly has negative conjecture with the intent of confusing the Dewan Rakyat, and has violated Standing Orders 36(6) and 36(12),” the Perikatan Nasional lawmaker said.
In March, Loke refuted claims by Wan Fayhsal that Khazanah and EPF were in business with an Israel-linked firm.
Wan Fayhsal had expressed concern that New York-based investment firm BlackRock Inc, which owned shares in weapons companies supplying arms to Israel, also owned GIP.
News of the potential consortium deal was previously published by The Edge, which cited sources claiming that GIP was “well known” for running airports. – May 20, 2024