In a press conference held at the Perdana Leadership Foundation building, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad addressed his 2018 meeting with BlackRock, emphasizing that it was conducted under different circumstances and with different intentions than recent portrayals suggest.
Dr. Mahathir clarified that during the 2018 meeting in London, the primary agenda was to assess whether BlackRock, a prominent investment firm, could potentially contribute to Malaysia’s economic development. He underscored that no concrete agreements were reached during that encounter.
Responding to questions regarding the context of the meeting, Dr. Mahathir acknowledged discussing the ongoing oppression of Palestinians by Israel with BlackRock officials at the time. He pointed out that while the plight of Palestinians had been a longstanding issue, the severity of violence had escalated significantly since then.
"At that time, the oppression of Palestinians was a grave concern, but it did not amount to the scale of genocide we witness today," Dr. Mahathir stated, reflecting on the current situation where daily casualties among Palestinians have reached alarming numbers.
The former Prime Minister’s remarks come in the wake of media reports linking his 2018 meeting with BlackRock to allegations of the firm’s indirect support for Israel amidst its conflict with Palestine. The reports surfaced based on Dr. Mahathir’s earlier social media posts.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2018 was marked by heightened tensions and violence, notably during the "Great March of Return" protests in Gaza, which resulted in significant casualties among Palestinians due to Israeli military actions.
Recently, BlackRock drew attention in Malaysia due to its involvement with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which is engaged in acquiring equity in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). This move has sparked controversy, prompting debates on Malaysia's economic strategies and its stance on companies linked to Israel.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim defended the involvement of BlackRock-linked entities in Malaysian projects, citing potential adverse economic impacts if such partnerships were avoided. However, Dr. Mahathir disagreed with this stance, asserting Malaysia’s capability to manage its infrastructure independently without reliance on foreign entities connected to Israel.
"Attributing our economic challenges to Israel is misleading. We should prioritize developing self-sustaining strategies," Dr. Mahathir asserted, advocating for strategic planning to reduce dependency on external influences.
Philip Iley, the head of transport at GIP, clarified yesterday that despite BlackRock's acquisition of GIP in early 2024, operational control and strategic decisions would remain under GIP’s existing leadership. He reassured that BlackRock's involvement would not influence transactions related to MAHB’s privatization.
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