KUALA LUMPUR: A brief shouting match ensued in the Dewan Rakyat after Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) claimed that BlackRock already had a 100% ownership of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
When debating the Auditor-General’s report, Awang called on the Auditor-General to investigate why Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) shares should be offered for sale when MAHB displayed profits.
“There is substantial cash flow. The company is profiting so why should we offer it to others?
“While it (GIP) is not outright named BlackRock, it is fully owned by them,” he said, claiming that this was a way to keep BlackRock discreet.
To this, Howard Lee (PH-Ipoh Timor) raised the House’s standing order and asked Awang to prove GIP is fully owned by BlackRock.
“That is a false fact. You have to retract your statement.
“Don’t try to build a narrative with false statements that mislead the House,” he said.
Awang then responded saying he obtained his facts from Google.
Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) then interfered asking why Lee was allowed to disrupt Awang’s debate.
Lee later asked Deputy Speaker Alice Lau to advise on the situation.
“Speaker, ask him to retract the statement. It is known that factually, the sale has yet to happen. Don’t use the House’s privilege to lie and mislead the public,” he said.
Lau then called for cool heads to prevail and asked Lee to submit a motion on the matter.
This comes after GIP, along with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, planned to buy a 30% stake in MAHB’s privatisation move.
The remaining 70% will be owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund.
The deal was criticised by Opposition politicians after it emerged that GIP is in talks to be sold to BlackRock, a firm that is reported to have investments in Israel, with Malaysia strongly supporting Palestine.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
GIP had also issued an official statement that BlackRock would not be involved in the management of airports under MAHB.
