Monday, July 25, 2011

AirAsia: Still here, or has it moved?


Jakarta office/regional headquarters poser. Two news portals have declared that Tony Fernandes' decision to locate its corporate headquarters from KL to Jakarta as the latest blow to Najib, whose job Anwar Ibrahim is desperately after. Read Air Asia moves Corp HQ from KL to Jakarta, Asia Sentinel, 23 July; Air Asia moves HQ from KL to Jakarta, Malaysiakini, 23 July.

I posted a tweet last night, asking our new Tan Sri Tony, "Betul gitu Pak?" (Is that right, Sir?)

This morning someone asked me to go to @azranosmanrani, the Air Asia X ceo, for his clarification. Saw his tweets, this guy's brave. Many have complained about Malaysiakini's brand of journalism but I must say I've never read a CEO write so brutally honest about the news portal ... 





Will still need Tony to clear the air, though ...

33 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:37 pm

    It's a free country. Anyone cam leave. According to Tony Fernandes interview with the Jakarta Globe, Airasia is shifting regional HQ to Jakarta from KL and Tony has bought a house there. Tony is a major stakeholder of Airasia, the CEO is just a hired hand . If tony has been misquoted, let him come out and say it, as an investor I am not interested in what some second stringers have to tweet. Make a statement to Bursa Malaysia, that it is untrue, that Jakarta is not the regional HQ. Then we believe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:52 pm

    I say man Airasia truly Asia mao pi indon. Mentegi cina jaga transport lu boat ape ? Goyang kaki hisap candu kahh? Atau lu hanya peduli wijaya baru dan fajar baru dapat kontrek besaauuuu.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:08 pm

    let say if they moved.. I think it will giving benefits business opportunity to fireflyz

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:36 pm

    Kalu Airasia nak pegi, usahh takot. Malaysia Airpors akan usah Syed Faizal daree POS Malaysia agar polisi tulus dan fulus bole disempornakan. Alhamdulilah!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:30 pm

    Apa sala Airasia invest kat Indonesia. Gawek depa cun gilllla

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:31 pm

    How come nothing in news papers? Peliklah!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2:35 pm

    FROM JAKARTA GLOBE WEBSITE. The Jakarta Globe newspaper has a circulation of more than 300,000 a day.

    Tokyo. AirAsia has chosen Jakarta to be its regional headquarters in an effort to be seen as a Southeast Asian airline rather than just a Malaysian one.

    The region’s largest low-cost airline plans to open its base in the capital at South Jakarta’s Equity Building in October, group chief executive Tony Fernandes told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

    It plans to take advantage of easy access to the Asean secretariat in advance of the “open skies” agreement that will go into effect in 2015.

    That agreement will lower barriers for air travel between the region’s capitals.

    Asked why he chose to move the fast-growing airline’s principal corporate base to Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur, Fernandes said: “Asean is based in Jakarta, and Indonesia will be the largest economy in Asean in times to come … And I like it there.”

    Fernandes, who is Malaysian, said he had already bought a home in Jakarta within walking distance of the new office.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:39 pm

    Woi Airasia CEO did you boss give an interview to Jakarta Globe? Did Jakarta Globe say that Airasia is moving HQ to Jakarta from KL? If that is so, then only one guy has a diease. Am surprised that Tony hired you, or maybe you are just a dumb Fukc making up the numbers with no decision making powerrrrrr!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous2:47 pm

    Aiseh, Airasia moving to Jakarta from KL, their regional opis. Apa kaitan dgn Airasia X?
    Hello Azran Osman-Rani , is it TRUE that Airasia only owns 16 per cent of Airasia X, not even enough to qualify as a SUBSIDIARY of Airasia.
    It is true that Tony Branson owns 16 per cent of Airasia X?
    So how come lah, you Azran Osman Rani, who at BEST is running a small associate of AIRASIA is taking about the INTENTIONS and MEANING of what its PARENT and MAJOR shareholder intends to do?
    Azran trying to kiss up with the powers to be so can jump to MAS as next CEO???

    The X MAn

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous3:06 pm

    Airasia X x usah bukak mulut. Airasia X tu bukan anak syarikat Airasia Bhd. Malu lah ceo Airasia X... mukak mulut

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:14 pm

    Tony is just using the Airasia X CEO as a patsy to negotiate what he wants with the government. If he does not get it, he will just move to Jakarta, and say I told you so. If he does get what he wants, he will say the Jakarta Globe story was false, and our Airasia X CEO had already clarified what. Either way, expect some ball crunching nego between Airasia and government of Malaysia to be taking place behind closed doors.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:16 pm

    Give Airasia what she wants, and she will stay. Failing to do so, then Tony will be taking Airasia to the highway all the way to gold laden Jakarta!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous4:35 pm

    Robert Kuok pun cabut, sekarang Tony...esok Bukhary kot?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous5:13 pm

    Dato Rocky,

    May be you could asked that brave CEO to give his comments on Jakarta Globe's "AirAsia to Move Base to Jakarta" published on 22 July 2011.

    Asked why he chose to move the fast-growing airline’s principal corporate base to Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur, Fernandes said: “Asean is based in Jakarta, and Indonesia will be the largest economy in Asean in times to come … And I like it there.”

    And I like it too...hehe

    ReplyDelete
  15. Seolferwulf5:29 pm

    AirAsia has units in Indonesia and Thailand which it is planning to list on the respective stock exchanges.

    It wants to set up an operation in Singapore to compete against the Singapore-based LCCs Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia and the yet-to-be-named SIA unit.

    Indonesia is potentially the biggest air travel market in ASEAN. Singapore's Changi Airport has one of the best connectivities in Asia.

    Plus Singapore's corporate tax rate is only 17%.

    Do the math.

    ReplyDelete
  16. PAKATAN RAKYAT funds Malaysiakini.com & TheMalaysianInsider.com.

    This is the reason why these 2 portals will publish anything BAD about Malaysia just to make the current Govt. look bad.

    If PAKATAN RAKYAT takes over the Govt., you can be 1000000% SURE these 2 portals will portrait Malaysia even more BEAUTIFUL than HEAVEN. They will then even say GOD is willing to MIGRATE to MALAYSIA.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Think the issue here is not about AirAsia wanting to move its HQ to Jakarta or Oslo..its about Malaysiakini"s credibility and reputation as the "Master Spinners'!

    If the story is not true, Malaysiakini should stand up. If it is indeed true that they have been spinning half truths like this latest AirAsia saga then the authorities shoud seriously look into Malaysiakini"s MO coz this could be classified as attempts to dilute investors confidence in Malaysia.

    In those days the call it economic sabotage.. i wonder what they call it now.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous8:07 pm

    No surprise when it comes to Air Asia. Screwing a nation is no different to them screwing their passengers. I've not touched Air Asia for two years now, I'd rather take a rice boat than fly with Air Asia.

    ReplyDelete
  19. drMpower8:12 pm

    the more pressing issue is the ethic of journalism practiced. if the interpretation of the new is made to a certain degree, i would say that is a BAD JOURNALISM. or bad journalism ethic.

    but if the news delivered are blatantly NOT TRUE, that means LYING. its no longer journalism. or code of ethics. its blatant lie made by blatant liar.

    i could not care less about air asia. or who ever for that matter. stay or leave, it is their call. but when u make use the news of either wrongly interpreted or simply NOT TRUE to PAINT someone black, then it is something we the people should take serious attention at.

    forget politics or races or whatever. LIAR doesnt belong here.

    and ah if u come barking about 'they do can, why cant we do the same', then there is NOT A SINGLE REASON of the people to look at u as a source of alternative.

    people messed up in japanese sometime ago, they owned it up and then hara kiri
    the people would be very interested about liars do that as well

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous8:53 pm

    We have to wake up. As much as Malaysia wants foreign companies to invest here, other countries also wants to do the same. I have read blogger Out Syed The Box wrote sometime back, the day will come when we may export maids to Indonesia.....so we better listen to him, it may be happening in our lifetime!!! The government needs to WAKE UP YESTERDAY!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous9:03 pm

    Apanama talking about spinning? Sigh....

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bedul9:47 pm

    Aiya why the fuss about Tony perasan Trump Fernandez.
    He will go where the money goes.
    If there is money to be made in Hindraf, he will be there too.
    Who cares about him.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Skilgannon106610:13 pm

    Anon 8:07 PM

    Apparently Skytrax thinks differently.

    But then, who are they, compared with your expert opinion?

    I am sure that your rice boats will get you where you want to go - eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous1:02 am

    Apanama, the story originated from Jakarta Globe. So far NOBODY in Airasia has DENIED the Jakarta Globe interview with Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. Yes, Airasia has given some explanation on the matter. But the explanation has been vague. To put an end to all this, Airasia and Tony should just DENY the globe story as untrue . END of story.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dalam diam article itu berniat memburukan Perdana Menteri kita Dato Seri Najib Razak

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous9:12 am

    If Indonesia is gonna be the biggest market for Airasia, then Tony's move is the logical step moving forward. Its good for MAS too. Their sub Fireflyz can 'breath'.

    I can almost hear MAS execs giving high five to each other.

    p/s I don't like Airasia much anyway. Their backhanded way in getting what they want is disgusting

    -PakKasim

    ReplyDelete
  27. Salam Bro,

    1. To create a political detrimental impact on economic perceptions. We know somebody that has strong relation with some groups in Indonesia. The truth is yet to be discovered. I dont know about that, just an assumption.

    2. Why? sarcastic issues and wild behaviors already in momentum to undermine the truths. A dangerous pragmatic political move.

    3.Hope it's not true or otherwise be prepared PM Najib....

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous11:45 pm

    Selamat Sore Bapak2 semua,
    Kasihan sama Air Asia employess.Nantik gajinya dibayar dgn uang rupiah.
    Gue rasanya tentunya rugik besar yah.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous11:49 pm

    Jika betul, memang tak mengenang budi.Semuanya diberi keistimewaan.Airpr tax beratus juta dikansel begitu saja disini ya. Samalah dgn AK, RK & lllagi.Mrk pun bila sudah jadi billionaire hasil budi baik kerajaan Malaysia 'berhijrah' diri dan harta kenegara lain.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous10:07 am

    y fuss about airasia to move to jakarta? i think it is a good move for airasia and asean people. i hope proton also will be based in jakarta one day.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous5:05 pm

    I just flew AirAsia. The service is good, i must say, but the LCCT in KLIA is a disgrace.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Yup, to be successful in business (and politics), you cannot afford to be sentimental. Like politics, in business there is no permanent friend or permanent enemy. You have to grab any slightest opportunity which may appear before your competitor snatches it. You are only loyal to what give you the best return, even if you have to bite the hand which feed you. Pragmatism is the catch word of the day.
    I don’t know what the Chairperson (former Malaysian Minister of International Trade) has to say about this move. Presumably, the good Tan Sri will now have to look at her company as a business entity where “profit” is the real motivating factor and not social and Malaysian national interest.
    It is true, Air Asia is not the first and neither will be the last Malaysian company to “park” its HQ outside of its original kampong. Look back, in the past, what some Malaysian companies (large and small) have done by setting up offices especially in Singapore and Hong Kong. They were “taking advantage” of these island states generous financial and monetary facilities. It is well known that these city states provide effective and most lucrative safe havens for businessmen in their respective regions or hinterlands.
    What is there to clear the air, the fact remains that AirAsia has left bad “air” in Malaysia for a new and desperate “sucker”. You may spin the rationale many ways you like but if AirAsia thinks it is moving to a less corrupt country, it better review the decision. Yup, Malaysia is nor AirAsia punya. Obviously AirAsia cannot have everything it has demanded from the government. Dejected, but Tony is not stupid. A new base and willing place where “semua boleh” and “bisa diatur” is readily available.
    Farewell “Good riddance” to AirAsia and “good luck” to Indonesia. For goodness sake, I hope the “good airline” had settled all MAB and other outstanding local bills.
    Mike Harlem

    ReplyDelete
  33. Skilgannon10662:27 pm

    mike harlem 6:45 PM

    Oh, mikey, mikey - what exactly is it that you are trying to put across?

    That a public-listed company should not pursue return on investment, the bottom line and returns to shareholders? That it should not maximise opportunities wherever they arise? That it should not take advantage of more favourable tax regimes elsewhere?

    That's like telling Citigroup, HSBC or Stanchart Bank that they should not put their regional HQs in Singapore while doing business in Malaysia. I doubt that even the redoubtable Bank Negara would have the gumption to put this across to these 3 foreign banks.

    More to the point, how does AirAsia and MAS respond to the changing aviation scenario, particularly the forthcoming Asean Open Skies policy? Every Asean airline is desperately restructuring and re-tooling to cut costs and secure the maximum competitive advantages.

    You think that AirAsia and MAS are magically exempted from this competition because of some form of divine mandate?

    Grow up, brudder. And if you are not au fait with the complexities of the aviation business, pray refrain from trotting out trite comments and bland pablum.

    ReplyDelete