Loke: PAC Must Adhere to Proper Procedures

Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke has called out the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to follow proper procedures when seeking explanations from his ministry, including on the sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) shares.

Loke clarified that neither he nor the ministry was involved in the transaction, emphasising that PAC should make its decisions collectively rather than unilaterally by its chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

According to Loke, "She cannot simply make a statement. PAC is not just one person. Even though she is the chairman, she’s not alone."

Mas Ermieyati previously stated that the PAC might summon key individuals, including Loke, regarding an alleged RM500 million loss from MAHB share transactions by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

Loke added, "If they want an explanation, they must communicate officially with the Transport Ministry. We will review the scope, and if it falls outside our jurisdiction, we will inform the Dewan Rakyat Speaker."

He reiterated that MAHB is a listed company not under his ministry’s control, and equity ownership involving institutions like Khazanah Nasional Bhd and EPF is managed by fund managers. "If they want answers, they should ask the EPF, not my ministry," he added.

WIth regards to the delayed Aerotrain project at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Loke said that, while he is dissatisfied with the delay, the project is managed and funded by MAHB, not the Transport Ministry.

MAHB recently announced that the project, initially set to resume in Jan 2025, has been postponed to the second quarter of the year.

Source: BERNAMABiz