Khazanah not selling stake in PLUS

By BERNAMA | 30 October 2019


KUALA LUMPUR: The government sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, is not in the mood to sell PLUS Malaysia Bhd, the country’s biggest expressway toll firm, its managing director, Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said.

He said Khazanah, which owns 51 per cent of PLUS, retained its stand not to dispose of its stakes in PLUS.

"We are not in the mood of selling the asset and we actually haven't got any kind of bidding process going on," he told reporters on the sidelines of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) Corporate Summit 2019 here today.

Shahril Ridza said he agrees with the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that all the offers to date were unattractive.

"(Prime Minister) Tun (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) already mention that none of the offers are attractive. so, I leave it to that," he said.

News emerged today that Widad Business Group Sdn Bhd has upped its offer to acquire 100 per cent equity interest in PLUS at a total enterprise value of RM38.34 billion.

This includes RM5.3 billion for the equity interest, RM3.04 billion compensation waiver and RM30 billion debt assumption.

Other offers for PLUS are from businessman Tan Sri Halim Saad, who partnered with Datuk Wong Gian Kui, to take over PLUS whole equity holding for RM5.2 billion.

Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, the operator of Maju Expressway, had also submitted its offer to acquire PLUS at an enterprise value of RM34.9 billion including PLUS’s debt to its bondholders.

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