Should Sabana Reit minorities ask board, senior personnel to resign if merger does not succeed?

VARIOUS parties involved in the proposed merger of ESR-Reit and Sabana Shari'ah Compliant Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (Sabana Reit) issued statements over the past week that clearly marked out their positions.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) stated that its regulatory framework does not prohibit a shareholder group from owning substantial stakes in two Reit managers, even if they are managing Reits invested in the same property class.

MAS also outlined the regulatory safeguards to mitigate conflicts of interest. In particular, Reit managers and their directors have a legal obligation to prioritise the interests of unitholders over those of the Reit manager and its shareholders.