News Breakdown | Malaysia - BlackRock Deal

There's a a controversy going on in Malaysia right now over a planned investment deal that would give BlackRock a share in running Malaysia's airports. Now this is controversial for probably an obvious reason because BlackRock is perceived to be pro Israeli. It's a pro seem to be a pro Israeli company, And therefore, allowing them a stake in the Malaysia airports holding Berhad, which controls Malaysia's airports, it feels like it would be a compromise to Malaysians. It would be a compromise, in Malaysia's steadfast support for the Palestinians. I mean, Malaysia has established the the gold standard with regards to the boycott, for example, of companies like Starbucks and McDonald's.

No one has done it more airtight than the Malaysians have. So no one wants to see the government of Malaysia approve a deal that would give a company like BlackRock any power over their airports. Well, I'm afraid I have to go against the grain on this one. Let me first explain the deal itself as I understand it. MAHB, Malaysia's airport holdings, Berhad, will sell around 30% of its shares to a consortium of investors that includes a company called Global Infrastructure Partners, GIP, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Now along with that, the Malaysian sovereign wealth funds, Kasana and will through this deal, they will increase their shares to 7070% of MAE of MAHB. Now GIP is in the process of being acquired by BlackRock, which means that BlackRock through GIP will have a minority share in the Malaysia airport's holdings per head, maybe around 15% or so. I'm not sure of the exact figure that they will control or that they will own, but it's somewhere in part of that 30%. Again, Malaysia, I will repeat, will retain 70% controlling shares. And the government of Malaysia will continue to hold what they call special rights over MAHB.

Now let's talk about BlackRock itself for a moment. BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, the biggest in the world. It has entrenched itself in the political fabric of American and Western society, which also means obviously that it is a global force. BlackRock is a global force because America and the West exert global power, and BlackRock has power over them. BlackRock manages, some $9,000,000,000,000 worth of assets.

This isn't just a number. This represents a colossal influence over the global financial markets. When BlackRock makes a move, entire economies feel the ripple. They own significant shares in every major corporation that you can think of, which means that they have a say in how those companies operate. They can dictate corporate policies, pushing their own agenda and shaping the future of entire industries.

This is the economic clout that translates directly into political power. You know, during the, the COVID nineteen pandemic, the United States Federal Reserve called upon, none other than BlackRock, to manage its corporate bond to manage its corporate bond buying program. They didn't just consult, they actually entrusted BlackRock with deciding which bonds to buy. Essentially, giving BlackRock the keys to America's economic stability. So this isn't just influence that BlackRock has, it's control.

And the story is the same in Europe. You know, the the European Central Bank turned to, again, BlackRock for advice on its asset purchase program. Larry Fink, BlackRock's CEO, doesn't operate in isolation. He has cultivated close relationships with key political figures, with key political leaders. There's a revolving door between BlackRock and the highest levels of government in The United States.

Brian Deese, who was once a top executive at BlackRock, now serves as the, the director of the National Economic Council under president Biden. This isn't just influence. It's infiltration. It's capture. Regulatory bodies in The United States like the, Financial Stability Board routinely, consult with BlackRock.

BlackRock shapes the rules of the game ensuring, that the, the playing field of that game is always tilted in their favor. They're constantly working behind the scenes. BlackRock is constantly at work trying to mold the laws and mold the policies that affect every aspect of the lives of Americans and westerners and people around the world. BlackRock's power is a clear example, of how corporate interests have colonized Western governments and Western economies, the American economy, the European economy, and the policies of those governments. And they want to colonize our countries.

They want to colonize our economies just as they did in the past. This is just a modern form of imperialism if we let them get away with it where they can, have just the few dictate the terms to the many. You know, I've been saying for years now that we have to recognize and we have to understand this reality, this new reality of economic imperialism and deal with it strategically. We have to align ourselves with the global struggle against this new form of economic domination. We need to build bridges with our brothers and sisters in the global South, in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in the Arab world, and in the Muslim world.

And that quite honestly, in my opinion, is what I think that Malaysia and Abu Dhabi are actually doing with this deal. What Malaysia and The UAE are doing with this deal. I believe that this deal is strategic and rather than BlackRock being allowed to dominate, I believe that this deal has the potential to actually rein BlackRock in and to help shift their whole approach, changing BlackRock from being a predator to being a partner. Together in solidarity with other Muslim nations and with other nations of the global South, we can finally potentially contain this behemoth. Together we can reclaim our collective sovereignty and we have to do it together to ensure that power will lie with the people, with our nations, and not with corporate giants like BlackRock.

But we can't do that in an openly confrontational way. Look, we're at a critical juncture in our history where the forces of economic power are shifting from the global North to the global South. And the global South stands, as I've said many times, at the threshold of an unprecedented opportunity. And I think that this deal represents a a strategic move that can potentially carry profound implications for our future. This isn't hyperbole.

This deal between the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, ADIA, Malaysia airports holding Berhad, and BlackRock, I think potentially has very significant ramifications for our future. Let's make one thing clear. As I said, BlackRock is a behemoth in the financial world, in the economic world, in the private sector. As I said, they manage $9,000,000,000,000 in assets. This company has the power to influence economies, to make or break markets.

For too long, we've seen such power as BlackRock used as an instrument of economic colonization, stripping resources from the global South to feed the insatiable appetite of Western interests. But here's the brilliance in my opinion of what ADIA and MAHB are doing. They've struck a deal that gives BlackRock a stake in Malaysia's airports while restricting the extent of that stake. This isn't about surrendering control, it's about leveraging power strategically. By bringing BlackRock into the fold, in my opinion, they're not just inviting investment, they're forging a partnership that aligns BlackRock's interests with the stability and the prosperity of Malaysia and the Muslim world and the global South more broadly.

I mean, at the bigger picture. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are already partnering with BlackRock in a number of areas in various capacities. Their partnerships are from areas of infrastructure, renewable energy, financial services, on and on and on. By integrating BlackRock into their economic frameworks and their economic projects, those nations are not merely recipients of investment, they are strategic players in the global financial arena. And this is important because when BlackRock has vested interests in the success of the Muslim world, when its profitability is tied to the prosperity of our regions, it becomes a partner rather than a predator.

The stability and the growth of The Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and Latin America become integral to BlackRock's own success, to their own profitability. This creates a powerful incentive for BlackRock to actually support policies and to support initiatives and projects and so on that foster stability, that foster growth and prosperity in our countries. The global economy is pivoting as I've talked about many many times. The center of gravity is shifting from the West towards Asia, Africa, and The Middle East. These regions are poised to become, in my opinion, the new engines of global economic growth.

By aligning with BlackRock, ADIA and MAHB are ensuring, that this economic giant, has a stake in our collective success so that it won't try and take it through hostility and aggression. They're transforming a potential adversary into an ally using the tools of economic influence to build a future where power is shared more equitably, And eventually, that turns into us having the upper hand. This isn't just about airports and investments. No. It's about redefining relationships with Western power.

It's about ensuring that the instruments of global finance, the the levers of the global economy, work for us and not against us. By carefully managing the extent of BlackRock's stake, ADIA and MAHB retain control and sovereignty while still benefiting from the financial and strategic support that BlackRock can provide. In my opinion, this deal is a lesson in strategic empowerment. It's a blueprint for how we can navigate this ever changing and complex landscape of global finance amidst this global transition without losing our autonomy. It's about understanding that power, when strategically harnessed, can be a force for liberation rather than subjugation.

I think that the countries of the Global South should actually take inspiration from this deal and from this approach and this strategy to forge new partnerships that serve our interests, that promote stability and prosperity across the Global South in our own countries. We need to ensure that as the global economy pivots, it does so in a way that benefits our people, all of our people, not just a few. You know, last year, I talked about my reservations regarding BRICS and regarding the pivot of the global economy to the global South. And I said that the issue was never about whether or not that pivot would take place. Not whether or not that pivot would take place, but how it would take place, how it would happen, how it would be managed, and whether or not our countries would be able to recalibrate their approach to Western institutions and to foreign investment and Western power.

Recalibrate their own image of the West and of themselves so that they could actually steer the process of the economic pivot. And in my opinion, that's exactly what Malaysia, The UAE, and Saudi Arabia are doing. By making a deal like this, they're defanging the wolf by establishing partnerships with BlackRock. They are recruiting BlackRock's political power to serve the interests of our own nations, of our own people, and our own economic stability. In my opinion, what they're doing is preempting any hostile and aggressive moves that BlackRock could potentially make and they're rather instead of that they're giving them a reason and they're giving them an incentive to actually cooperate in our prosperity and our security.

And I think that's very wise. And I also think that this is much better and more intelligent as a way to support the Palestinians. The more that the owners and controllers of global financialized capital, the more they care about their relationships with us, the more leverage we have. And the more it will be in their interests, in the interests of the most powerful private sector players to actually adhere to positions that align with our values, that align with our principles, and that align with our priorities. So I think that opposing this deal on the basis of BlackRock's, I mean, particularly on the basis of BlackRock's Israeli interests, I think that's very short sighted and misguided.

Because the reality is that the opportunities that partnership with the Muslim world provides or presents to BlackRock, those opportunities easily eclipse any interests that they could possibly have with the Israelis. And thus, the more influence we have over BlackRock because of those opportunities and investment opportunities that we provide them, the more influence than we will then have over the Israelis. Whereas if we were to shun partnerships like this and strategic alliances like this, we do nothing but exclude ourselves from having any influence whatsoever, and that doesn't help the Palestinians at all.