PUTRAJAYA is scrutinising a deal involving the sale of the KL Tower, Fahmi Fadzil said following a public outcry.

The communications and digital minister said he views the matter seriously, and that he will receive a comprehensive briefing on the matter from Telekom Malaysia (TM) early next week.

“I take seriously the issues raised on social media as well as the questions asked by the media regarding the takeover of the management of KL Tower through full shareholding from TM, through its subsidiary Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd, to Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd.

“I have received a detailed briefing regarding the KL Tower management concession from the Communications and Digital Ministry on December 14, 2022.

“I will also receive a comprehensive briefing on this matter from TM on January 3, 2023,” Fahmi said in a statement today.

Over the week, the issue of Telekom selling off its 10 million shares in Menara Kuala Lumpur, which manages the iconic tower, had gone viral on social media.

It was alleged that TM had let go of its holding on the subsidiary, purportedly making good profits, to a less-known company called Hydroshoppe.

A Twitter account (@FreeMsia) claimed Menara Kuala Lumpur was making RM66 million of revenue pre-pandemic, of which RM25 million was registered as net profit.

Fahmi said his ministry is closely monitoring this issue and stands ready to fully cooperate if authorities want to pursue an investigation.

Earlier today, former communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa distanced himself from the purported deal.

He told news portal MalaysiaKini he was not involved in TM’s decision to sell the subsidiary that managed KL Tower.

He said the deal involved a public-listed company and not the government.

“Nothing to do with the communications minister,” Annuar (above) told Malaysiakini.

“Go ask TM… if the company was making RM25 million in profit, why didn’t they want to keep it and sell it off?” he was quoted as saying by MalaysiaKini.

Questions were raised as to whether the former Ketereh MP had anything to do with TM selling its shares.

However, the Annuar dismissed the allegations.

“TM was not under the communications minister’s purview… it is a public-listed company,” he said.

According to the Companies Commission of Malaysia system, Menara Kuala Lumpur had a change of shareholding on October 31.

It showed that 10 million shares owned by TM had been transferred to Hydroshoppe, a general trading company registered in 2008 with a capital of RM1 million. – December 27, 2022.