PUTRAJAYA must not sell government assets to foreign parties, more so if these parties have Israeli links, said Zaid Ibrahim.

The former minister said the government must hold on to its assets to protect the interests and security of the country.

“We don’t want Malaysia to be a vassal state of the United States. We want the freedom to talk about these things. Is that too much to ask?,” he said on Facebook today.

“Don’t sell government assets like airports to Larry Fink and Zionist conglomerates,” he added.

He was referring to a recent report that Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd had received a takeover offer worth over RM2 billion from a consortium led by its major shareholder Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

Khazanah and the EPF are teaming up with New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, in forming the consortium Gateway Development Alliance Sdn Bhd, to take MAHB private.

Malaysians on social media were quick to oppose to the link-up with  GIP, saying that it was partly owned by BlackRock, an American multinational investment company that is pro-Israel.

Fink is the co-founder and chairman of BlackRock.

Others have also questioned the need for the government to hand over the management of the country’s airports to foreign entities.

Zaid also said the government should keep its promise to introduce reforms, adding that Malaysians were looking at basic reforms.

“The reforms we are looking for are the basic ones. Don’t charge citizens for sedition for making comments, don’t sell government assets like airports to Larry Fink and Zionist conglomerates.

“Don’t spend billions of taxpayers’ money without tender, and do not use the AG office for political convenience, etc.

“If you can’t do the basic reforms, then say you won’t do it because you were only making promises in the last 25 years. There is no need to describe us as elitists or people detached from the masses,” he added.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly said that any promised reforms by the government must be implemented carefully to ensure the people are prepared to embrace the changes.

He said the government must not be hasty in implementing reforms as it needs to consider the repercussions of the changes that are made.

Zaid said Malaysians were not asking for “more gay rights, to remove gender identity or to prevent you from holding multiple terms in office”.

“We only want basic freedoms so that the rakyat are not subject to gag orders or sent to jail for demanding their right to speak. – May 17, 2024.