KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has denied making any public remarks that resulted in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB)’s shares in Bursa Malaysia to take a dip last week.
He said any remarks that he made on the Malaysian airport operator were uttered behind closed doors last Thursday and were leaked without his knowledge.
“I never said anything openly, but someone leaked what I said in a close-door (event). It is beyond me,” he said.
Loke was responding to a statement by the prime minister’s adviser and veteran journalist Datuk A. Kadir Jasin who accused him of “talking down the market” with his comments on MAHB.
The transport minister said he would be meeting Kadir tomorrow to discuss the matter at length.
“I’ve never said anything openly and will not make any announcement before a decision is made,” he said.
The business and financial publication, The Edge, had reported that Loke’s remarks had caused uncertainty for MAHB, which led to a sell down of its shares and wiped out RM1.09 billion in market capitalisation.