Key facts
- Civil society groups urged Malaysian tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary to revoke Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem's appointment as chairman of MMC Port Holdings.
- The call is due to Bin Sulayem's alleged ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
- Bin Sulayem's appointment follows his resignation from DP World amid scrutiny over Epstein connections.
- The groups cited geopolitical and financial risks, referencing other entities suspending investments with DP World.
- Malaysia's transport minister stated the government cannot interfere in private company management.
Civil society groups have urged Malaysian billionaire Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary to revoke the appointment of Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem as executive chairman of logistics giant MMC Port Holdings, citing alleged ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Reuters reported that Bin Sulayem, who resigned from Dubai's DP World five months prior amid scrutiny over his email exchanges with Epstein, was set to control Malaysia's largest port operator. MMC Port operates seven ports along the Malacca Strait and is a unit of MMC Corporation, in which Syed Mokhtar holds a controlling stake.
A joint statement from 31 organizations dated July 20 called for Bin Sulayem's appointment to be rescinded, highlighting geopolitical and financial risks. They noted that major financial entities, including the UK development finance agency and Canada's second-largest pension fund, had suspended new investments with DP World due to Bin Sulayem's alleged links to Epstein.
The statement argued that if Bin Sulayem was not deemed indispensable to DP World, there was no reason for him to be considered indispensable to MMC Ports. MMC Corp and Bin Sulayem have not publicly commented on the matter, and Bin Sulayem could not be reached for comment. His appointment had also triggered outrage on social media.
Malaysia's transport minister stated that the government cannot interfere in the management of private firms, though it can regulate shareholding structures of companies operating concessions and strategic national assets.