72 million Masterskill shares change hands off market

PETALING JAYA: Some 72 million shares in Masterskill Education Group Bhd changed hands via several off-market deals yesterday at an average price of 40 sen apiece, stock market data showed.
The shares are believed to have crossed over to the education provider's second-largest owner and new executive director Siva Kumar Jeyapalan from former boss Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara.
This
comes after Masterskill announced on Monday its two major shareholders,
Santhara and Siva Kumar, intended to deal in the securities of the
company.
The off-market shares accounted for 17.5% of Masterskill's 409.9 million share base.
They
were sold at 16.5 sen, or 29.2%, below the firm's closing price of 56.5
sen, the lowest since December 2012. In regular trading, the counter
finished 1.5 sen down with 137,300 shares done.
StarBiz
had reported on Tuesday citing sources that Santhara was likely to exit
Masterskill, whose listing he had presided over in May 2010 at RM3.50 a
share, and sell his holdings to Siva Kumar. At last count Santhara
still had a 23.83% interest, or 97.6 million shares, in the firm.
Santhara
resigned last week from all executive positions to contest in the
upcoming general election as an independent in Hulu Selangor.
It
is understood he no longer intends to play an active role in
Masterskill, which provides training in nursing and allied health
sciences.