Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal again called for the deal to be put on hold and studied first by a parliamentary committee.

“(If the deal goes ahead) we will bring thousands of Malaysians to the streets to protest against this stubborn government,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.

The Bersatu Youth chief previously urged the Public Accounts Committee and the national audit department to investigate the MAHB privatisation deal.

GIP and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority are poised to take up a 30% stake in MAHB through a consortium led by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which will own 40%, and EPF (30%).

Several quarters have protested the deal as GIP will be acquired in the third quarter of this year by global investment firm BlackRock, which allegedly has connections to Israel and its military.

However, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that BlackRock and companies linked to the firm have been operating in states like Kelantan, Selangor and Sarawak, as well as on the stock market.

Anwar also said GIP was chosen from among other companies as it accepted that the chairman and CEO of MAHB must be Malaysian.

GIP had said BlackRock was not involved in the deal, while Khaznah maintained that GIP would not be involved in the management of the airport operator.