Singapore University Students protest collaboration between the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, or CREATE, part of a research alliance linking two local universities - NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - with Israel's Hebrew University.
What about Malaysia - the collaboration with BLACKROCK to own and manage Malaysia's Airport. Blackrock was named by UN Experts as an entity that supports Israel.
A group of United Nations experts has named BlackRock among dozens of entities, weapon manufacturers and financial institutions in a joint statement warning them not to engage in arms transfers to Israel as they would be complicit in war crimes and genocide..."Failure to prevent or mitigate their business relationships with these arms manufacturers transferring arms to Israel could move from being directly linked to human rights abuses to contributing to them, with repercussions for complicity in potential atrocity crimes," the experts said.True, when EPF/KWSP and Khazanah started discussions with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) to take about 30% stake in Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB), BlackRock was not in the picture - but then when news came that BlackRock will acquire 100% of the business and assets of GIP, Malaysia, who had a strong stance against Israel, should have stopped the MAHB deal. But, PM Anwar Ibrahim and the government did not...During the prime minister's question time in Dewan Rakyat, Anwar said despite BlackRock acquiring GIP, the management of GIP will retain full control and responsibility over the strategic direction of the company and the companies it invested in.
Anyone knows that when owners change, the current management is 'foolish' to say that they still will have control - and Anwar demonstrated his 'incompetence' or lack of knowledge on how a company works. New owners decide, and are not bound by what old owners or old management promised. Either way, profits from MAHB will ultimately flow to the new owners BlackRock. [That's why it is a good idea to have a Finance Minister with knowledge on economics and corporate law].
Khazanah - is a government owned entity - that means it is the Malaysian peoples monies.
EPF/KWSP, on the other hand are 100% Workers' monies or EPF members monies - So, do EPF members agree with this deal with BlackRock? If they do not, should not EPF/KWSP members speak up..
The students in Singapore are protesting collaboration with an Israel institution - it is not even their own monies.
Comparatively, it is EPF/KWSP contributors/members' monies at play here...Do we agree with this investment collaboration with a pro-Israel entity, BlackRock?
WORSE - EPF/KWSP sold their MAHB shares for RM6.74 and RM7.70 and then bought it back for RM11 >> foolish or what? EXPLAIN please.
Dr Wee then added that EPF gradually sold 163,363,080 shares at prices between RM6.74 and RM7.70 per unit until its ownership in MAHB was reduced to 5.97% by December 2023. He said that just months later, under a general offer (GO), EPF repurchased the disposed shares at about RM11, paying a premium of between RM539mil and RM696mil...."It is like selling a bunch of bananas for RM10 and repurchasing the same ones for RM20. I am riled up. Where are all the smart people managing a very important organisation in the country,” said Dr Wee. - Star, 14/1/2025The money in EPF/KWSP belongs to its about 16 million contributors/members - it is not the money of the Malaysian government. The role of the EPF/KWSP is to invest smartly and increase our monies - translated into the amount of DIVIDENDS that each contributor receives back in his/her personal account. EPF/KWSP monies is not for the government to do as it pleases - including giving 'dangerous' loans and entering into 'risky' investments. EPF members/contributors reasonably have a right to say what is done with their OWN monies > so do we support collaboration with pro-Israel entities - YES or NO?
OUR EPF money comes from us(workers) and our employers - ZERO contribution from the Government. Government or EPF/KWSP only manage our monies with the object of INCREASING our savings through investments. PENSION is different - there is no pension accounts which belong to individual pensioners, just a government duty to pay pensions when due until death(or the death of one's spouse).
The government plans to develop a pension scheme for the private sector - and thus a NEW scheme must be started. They cannot arbitrarily change the current EPF/KWSP scheme to prevent members' withdrawal of full/partial sum anytime after retirement age.
See also:-
Malaysians stance of Israel-Palestine maybe different from Anwar and government? Blackrock, BOYCOTT, dealings with arm suppliers that kill Palestinians?
Singapore students swarm NUS centre with burial shroud, shoes to protest collaboration with Israel
Shoes and burial shroud placed in front of CREATE, a centre that hosts a research alliance with an Israeli university actively training Zionist security forces.
Students and alumni of Singapore's top university kicked off the academic semester today with a symbolic protest outside a research centre that collaborates with Israeli institutions, paying tribute to Palestinian students killed in the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
"We are outraged that our universities continue to support and partner with these institutions, and wilfully avert their gaze in the name of maintaining' political neutrality' while their collaborators strip away an entire people's right to learning and life," Students For Palestine Singapore said in a statement.
They placed 124 pairs of shoes and a white burial shroud in front of the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, or CREATE, part of a research alliance linking two local universities - NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - with Israel's Hebrew University, built on occupied land in East Jerusalem.
The Hebrew University trains Israeli soldiers through specialised military programmes that help the Israeli police to spy on Palestinian neighbourhoods.
"The Singapore- Hebrew University partnership is a striking and visible example of continued ties between Singaporean higher education and Israeli institutions complicit in occupation, apartheid, and genocide, and it is far from unique," the group said, adding that NUS and NTU also have partnerships with Thales, one of Israel's largest arms suppliers, and the Israeli Aerospace Industries, whose weapons have been used in Gaza.
The group said that each pair of shoes placed in front of CREATE represents two lives: a Palestinian student killed in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and a student/alumnus in Singapore demanding that local institutions end their complicity with Israeli crimes.
"The burial shroud, atop which rests a graduation cap and scroll, is a grave symbol of the scholasticide in Gaza – all universities and more than 80% of schools in Gaza have been destroyed.
"The 124 pairs of shoes displayed today represent less than 1% of over 17,400 children killed by Israel in the past 15 months – a horrifying statistic equivalent to one child killed every 30 minutes," it added.
Among the Palestinian students remembered are Ph.D candidate Samar al-Fara, computer engineering student Sha'ban al-Dalou, the 19-year-old who was burnt alive in an Israeli attack on a hospital, and Medo Halimy, who ran a daily vlog showing how displaced Palestinians live in tents.
The group called on local universities to divest from all investments and partnerships with companies that profit from Israel's genocide.
"This includes hosting Israeli academics as well as student exchange programmes, internships and research attachments with Israeli universities," it said.
It said pro-Palestinian students in Singapore have been subjected to police surveillance and intimidation.
"Our classmates have been called into police stations for investigation, our graduations subjected to intense scrutiny and attire checking, and many of us have been punished for opposing genocide. As these restrictions and investigations persist, Israel continues to ravage Palestine, and our grief only grows."
Singapore, one of the few countries with close military and diplomatic ties with Israel, is said to have modelled itself on Israel's security and defence system. It is also the tenth largest customer of the Israeli defence industry.
Last year, Israeli arms manufacturers took part in the Singapore Airshow, displaying weapons that are currently being used against Palestinians.
While
the Singapore government has criticised Israel's bombardment of Gaza,
it has also said that Israel has a "right to self-defence", the same
argument by the Zionist state to justify its genocidal campaign in Gaza,
which has so far killed more than 50,000 people, mostly civilians and
children.
Last April, a group of Singaporeans protested to call on the government to stop the arms trade with Israel.
In June, three Singaporeans were charged with disrupting public order for being part of a group that handed letters to then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong urging him to sever ties with Israel.
They were part of a group of 70 people who marched to the Prime Minister's Office and handed him 140 letters. - Malaysia Now, 13/1/2025
Dr Wee questions EPF's handling of MAHB shares
By Charles Ramendran Nation
Tuesday, 14 Jan 2025 9:10 PM MYT
PETALING JAYA: An investigation must be conducted into the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) selling its Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) shares at a lower price and repurchasing them at a premium in a short period, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said records show that EPF's equity holdings in MAHB in November 2022 were 15.67%, or 259,917,492 shares.
Dr Wee then added that EPF gradually sold 163,363,080 shares at prices between RM6.74 and RM7.70 per unit until its ownership in MAHB was reduced to 5.97% by December 2023.
He said that just months later, under a general offer (GO), EPF repurchased the disposed shares at about RM11, paying a premium of between RM539mil and RM696mil.
Dr Wee said there are weaknesses in EPF's management of information and planning if it sold the shares without being aware of MAHB's privatisation plans.
However, he added that if it was done deliberately, there could be a lack of transparency by EPF or vested interests by certain parties.
"It is like selling a bunch of bananas for RM10 and repurchasing the same ones for RM20. I am riled up. Where are all the smart people managing a very important organisation in the country,” said Dr Wee.
He added that this involves the funds of 16.1 million EPF contributors.
“Where are the investment experts entrusted to manage the funds? Has EPF become so great and wealthy or is it paying out dividends up to 30% annually? It is not,” saod Dr Wee.
“Hence, how is it that EPF is so generous to pay over RM500mil for the buyback of MAHB shares? This is fishy and illogical. It is not a small sum, and it is insensible of EPF to do so.
This must be investigated as the 'victims' are EPF members or contributors," he added in a video posted on Facebook. - Star, 14/1/2025
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