Transport Ministry not involved in sale of MAHB shares, says Loke

KUALA LUMPUR: The memorandum objecting to the proposed transaction involving Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) ought to have been directed to Khazanah Nasional Berhad instead, says Anthony Loke.

The Transport Minister said the memorandum by the opposition member of parliament protesting the sale of MAHB shares to a consortium that includes Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) should have been directed to Khazanah Nasional Berhad.

He said that the ministry only serves as a regulator and is not involved in the company's business transactions.

"We don't have shares in MAHB. We have nothing to do with MAHB's decisions or actions to enter into a strategic partnership with any party," Loke said after a working visit at Wisma Monorail in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (May 23).

On Thursday morning, about 30 anti-Israel activists, including politicians, led by Machang MP Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal gathered at the Transport Ministry in Putrajaya to demonstrate against the planned acquisition of MAHB shares.

The demonstration began at 11am. It protested the potential acquisition of MAHB shares by a consortium believed to have Zionist connections.

The group, known as the Palestine Solidarity Secretariat (SSP), submitted a memorandum of protest to a Transport Ministry representative. They demanded that the government halt the acquisition process of MAHB shares.

In response to criticism from PAS over the Pinkfish Express dance festival that took place on a Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) chartered train, Loke said that guidelines for train charters would be tightened.

Loke explained that KTMB has been offering train charter services since 2021.

He said that while KTMB had clear guidelines in place, including a ban on alcohol consumption, there were some elements that were beyond the company's control.

"These are the conditions set for chartering trains, but there are aspects that KTMB cannot oversee. As a result, the company will now reinforce and more carefully monitor the implementation of these guidelines," he said.

Earlier, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari had criticised the event, claiming it contradicted “eastern culture".

Fadhli Shaari noted that while entertainment is not inherently wrong, as part of Malaysia's diverse community, it is crucial to maintain KTMB's reputation and advocate for a "moderate entertainment culture" that is not overly influenced by Western customs.