Loke had come under fire from blogger A Kadir Jasin, who is also the prime minister’s media adviser, who accused him of “talking down the market” with his comments on MAHB.

“I thank Dato Kadir for his comments, I take them positively and I will meet him tomorrow,” Loke told reporters today.

“I’ve never said anything openly, I will only announce anything when we’ve made a decision.”

Saying his comments were made behind closed doors, Loke said he would refrain from saying anything on the matter openly.

“As and when we make a decision, I will tell you.”

Loke was quoted as saying by The Edge Markets that the government intends to adopt the public-private partnership model for airport operations, implying that MAHB may have new partners, including foreign parties.

This led to MAHB shares dropping 66 sen, wiping out RM1.09 billion off its market capitalisation.

Former deputy transport minister Aziz Kaprawi had said the impact of Loke’s remarks was not limited to MAHB but also its shareholders including Khazanah Nasional and the Employees Provident Fund.

Meanwhile, Loke said the construction of the Gombak terminal for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will go ahead even though the revised line would not pass through there.

The terminal, he said, will continue to serve as a transportation hub especially for the East Coast.