'BlackRock stooges, hope Zionist money worth it': Khairy slams suspension on Wan Fayhsal

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has launched a scathing attack on the government after ruling MPs voted to slap a six-month suspension on Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal today, saying it was clear the Perikatan Nasional MP has struck a nerve with government leaders with his vocal opposition to Putrajaya's plan to involve a company owned by BlackRock in the running of the country's airports.

"Clearly, he's getting to you. BlackRock stooges. Hope the Zionist money is worth it," said Khairy in a social media post.

He said the move showed cowardice in dealing with the opposition.

"Cowards. You make fun of him saying he is jargon, clueless. In the end you abuse your legislative might to throw him out for six months," he said, referring to a nickname used by critics against the Machang MP.

A total of 110 government MPs voted in favour of suspending Wan Fayhsal, while 63 voted against the motion tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said. 

Three MPs abstained while 46 were absent.

Azalina said Wan Fayhsal had slandered an Employees Provident Fund (EPF) officer by repeating an allegation from a "poison-pen letter" that he was despised by his staff.

"The Machang MP's allegations are an attack on the dignity of the staff of the agency under the ministry who have worked tirelessly to help the administration develop Malaysia.

"(He) has made serious allegations and accusations and acted in a manner that can spark ill-feelings towards the authority of the government," she said in her letter to Speaker Johari Abdul.

On July 1, Wan Fayhsal referred to a viral post claiming that an EPF official had actively pushed for the deal with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), the company owned by BlackRock, the US fund manager which is facing allegations of complicity with Israeli crimes.

"Many EPF employees are afraid to speak up. They don’t want to be part of this Madani deal where MAHB shares are to be sold to GIP-BlackRock," Wan Fayhsal had said, referring to Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

Under the government-backed deal, BlackRock's GIP will take a 30% stake in a consortium to manage MAHB, alongside the government's investment arm Khazanah Nasional and EPF, both entities under the jurisdiction of the finance ministry led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

It sparked protests due to BlackRock's well-documented role in strengthening the Israeli economy and its extensive investments in the US arms industry.

Critics also argued that there is no justification to involve a foreign partner in MAHB when the company is already profitable and made a net profit of over half a billion ringgit last year.

Anwar has repeatedly defended the decision to sell MAHB shares to GIP, saying the government could not cut ties with companies that have relations with Israel, adding that such a move would also "affect the country's economy".

He also claimed that Hamas leaders had no problem with Malaysia doing business with pro-Israel companies.

On the same day he made the remarks, Hamas released a statement calling on Muslim countries and Palestinian sympathisers to continue boycotting the Israeli state and its supporters. It added that a global campaign had so far achieved "significant accomplishments in undermining the entity's economy, isolating it, and delegitimising it".