KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has questioned the decision by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to summon him over the RM500 million loss in Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) stock transactions.

According to Berita Harian Loke, who is also the Secretary-General of DAP, labelled the move as politically motivated, suggesting that it aimed to tarnish his image because he is a minister from DAP.

Speaking at a press conference after attending the Transport Ministry today, Loke pointed out that MAHB is a listed company, not under the Transport Ministry’s jurisdiction.

He questioned whether there was a political agenda at play, stating that PAC’s actions seemed targeted at him due to his DAP affiliation.

"Mas Ermieyati should understand the structure of MAHB. I’m not sure if she doesn’t understand, or if she’s deliberately ignoring the fact that MAHB is a publicly-listed company and not under my ministry,” he said referring to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

"It seems like she is trying to link this issue to the Ministry of Transport. I don’t know if there is a political agenda, but since the Transport Minister is from DAP, it’s easy to blame DAP for everything.”

Earlier, Mas Ermieyati did not rule out the possibility of calling several key individuals, including Loke, to testify regarding the RM500 million loss in MAHB’s stock dealings.

The hearings are scheduled to start in the second week of February.

The controversy surrounding the sale of MAHB shares by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) in January 2023, at RM6.74 per unit, and their repurchase at RM11 per unit, has drawn criticism.

NGOs and political parties, including MCA, have urged the government to investigate the matter, which led to the EPF reducing its stake in MAHB to just 5 per cent.

According to Berita Harian, MCA has called for an immediate investigation into the sale and its implications.