Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Time to bring real aviation experts onto MAS board


Bashir, served MAS in the good years
Other than Md Nor Yusof, the chairman himself, the new board of Malaysia Airlines after the share swap and the hurried departure of Tony Fernandes and Din Meranun is now without a single soul that can claim to have even some aviation background in their past endeavors. 

YB Wee Choo Keong, who isn't letting up on his campaign to get all Air Asia "imports" out of MAS management, has proposed that the new Board bring on board some people with aviation knowledge and network. 

He's proposed two names: Tan Sri Aziz Rahman, a former MD of Malaysia Airlines, and Tan Sri Bashir, the Malaysia Airports boss who served MAS during the national carrier's good years.

Aziz .. Has advised foreign airlines
I hear Khazanah is talking about getting an international aviation name on board MAS. Good idea. But only if it doesn't turn its back on the local talents.

63 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:37 pm

    Rocky,

    You have lost the PLOT...

    Its not about taking on has beens who were "good" when things were easy.....Or so called "aviation experts" who are not business savvy...

    Its about being able to run a tough business during tough times...Not some lembik guy who only knows how to follow instructions from political masters or civil service chiefs.....

    Look at Air India facing bankruptcy, as well as some US Airlines....MAS is heading in the same direction and similar to Proton, Govt and government servants are just not good in business. Full Stop.

    Tony should be thankful of what happened! Think of the mess he could have got himself into trouble trying to teach these bodoh sombong non swimmers how to stay afloat!



    Joe Black

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:37 pm

    tikus membaiki labu!Berniaga dah lama tapi masih bodoh dan bangang.Alasan minyak mahal(itu alasan je)nak untung kena tahu berniaga,mungkin ramai yg menyeleweng.kata rugi tp blh taja QPR.Tony beli QPR - Tony handle MAS -Tony ambik duit MAS taja QPR.apa lancau. Staff x ada bonus.Org bawah ini potong itu potong,orang atas ini sebat itu pun sebat.macam musibat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rahman & Bashir - "Aviation Experts."??!!

    You must be kidding. They are no more than general manager mandore types. Go back and see what qualifications they had in the aviation industry when they started out. They were, like all these Khazanah and PNB appointees, parachuted in for obvious reasons.

    Bashir has yet to give a satisfactory reply why the LCTT terminal project cost ballooned from $2 billion to nearly $ 4 billion, and that built on swampy land. Does the fact that his contract is coming to an end have anything to do with it?

    MAHB makes a profit because of a monopoly given by the government; not because of "brilliant" management. Open up competition and you will see them tank like MAS in a TR choke hold.

    They are no more "experts" than Wee Choo Keong merely because he blogs about it.

    The aviation game has changed, and if we don't want old dinosaurs to wreck MAS further, it's time to headhunt internationally.

    Watch and see the "aviation experts" in Khazanah announce another billion ringgit loss for MAS in the current financial year, not to mention a few more billion ringgit in "restructuring costs!"

    Dpp
    we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race

    ReplyDelete
  4. tony fernandes dulu tokeh muzik je cam ne boleh jadi bos airasia..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:29 pm

    What light of day isn't today?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:42 pm

    Dont Play Puks...


    tsk tsk tsk..

    Read up more on the internet about MAHB's reply on why there are cost overruns.

    Find the link ok. Malas ye?

    Basically it's due to AirAsia's flip flops in their requirements.

    Read up more DPP. Rather than wallowing in a cesspool commonly known as MalaysiaKini.

    regards,
    PDD.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sdr Rocky,

    Perbincangan mengenai MAS sudah berlarutan. Bagi saya MAS sememangnya ada 'cancer' yang dideritainya.Dan dilantiklah beberapa orang 'doktor' untuk mengubat penyakit itu. Malangnya 'cancer' terus juga merebak. Mengapa?

    i. Doktor yang mengubati cancer tidak ikhlas untuk mengubati cancer.

    2. Cancer yang berada di perut dibedah di kaki. Tentu tidak akan sembuh.

    3. Doktor-doktor yang datang mengubati mempunyai agenda yang tersendiri- ingin mengambil kesempatan di atas 'kekayaan' yang ada pada MAS

    4. Doktpr-doktor yang datang hampir kesemuanya ada political connections. Tentulah antara 'tugas'nya nak menjaga orang politik.

    Sehingga lah kedatangan seorang 'doktor' yang beul-betul ikhlas dan takut kepada Tuhan, MAS tidak akan berjaya mencipta kejayaan. Pengetahuan dan pengalaman diambil kira tetapi yang lebih penting kesedaran untuk memulihkan airline yang amat sakit. MAS adalah antara airline yang membuta keuntunganbesar suatu ketika dulu.

    Abu Hassan Adam

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:52 pm

    Hollande says which is why he intends with renegotiate ones fiscal treaty so so this item places an emphasis on growth and thus must not exactly deficit reduction. Matt says governments should actually increase spending instantly, even though economies can be found so weak. [url=http://www.michaelkorsswitzerland.com]michael kors shoes[/url]
    Throughout unquestionably the same times, some Democrats say which usually Mr. Obama, by the continuing to actually straddle an issue which usually many supporters yet gay activists believe he then privately favors, risks looking politically calculating, even cynical. [url=http://www.michaelkorsswitzerland.com]michael kors handbags[/url]
    “I think some sort of president happens to be one particular right person within order to describe his own personal experiences,” Mr. Carney added. “He, as you know, said that experts claim his sees on specific were evolving, additionally I don’t want an update to achieve you on which unfortunately.” http://www.michaelkorsswitzerland.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous3:35 pm

    MAS is for politicians, civil servants and employees to help themselves under the guise of doing business.

    Everyone knows that, but pretend not to know cos govt. is always there to bail out when needed.

    Don't be shy to admit it.

    So, stop talking rubbish about reviving MAS all the years gone by.

    Any investor still dumb, can continue to hope and pray for MAS.

    A zebra never changes it's stripes.



    Ex-MAS

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous4:14 pm

    Khazanah has failed so many times. The MD of Khazanah should go!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jasper Bloodstone4:23 pm

    "Report about AirAsia hub here not true: CAAS"

    From the TODAY paper in Singapore:

    "The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has dismissed a report claiming that Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has received approval to start a hub in the Republic.

    "The Malaysian Insider - citing an unidentified industry source - reported yesterday that Singapore "has agreed in principle" to issue an air operator's certificate to AirAsia and the certificate will be issued "as soon as possible".

    "AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes had previously spoken to the media about his wish to make Singapore a regional hub, alongside Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.

    "But a CAAS spokesperson told TODAY that the report is "not true".

    "She added: "The CAAS has not granted an air operator's certificate to AirAsia, neither are we processing any application from AirAsia at this point in time.""

    Well, it wouldn't be the first time that The Malaysian Insider got things wrong.

    And yet, take note of the CAAS spokesperson's words "at this point in time".

    Which means to say that the possibility can't be ruled out in future.

    I guess that if Tony F feels that he is not wanted in Malaysia, or if he is being constantly demonised and vilified, he could well contemplate setting up a base in Singapore for AirAsia as a Singapore-licensed air operator.

    A possible tie-up with Qantas' Jetstar unit would give him substantial scaleability and commonality of aircraft platforms (A320s and A330s).

    It would make more sense than being forced into a grudging "cooperation agreement" with MAS!

    And a base in Singapore will make him less susceptible to "arm twisting" by Malaysian politicians and vested interests.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:53 pm

    PM SHOULD REVAMP THE WHOLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TOO!!!!

    Mohd Nor Yusof is a stooge of Nazir RAzak. He is not sincere to turnaround MAS this time around. He openly said he is merely taking instructions. Whose instructions????

    Azman Yahya, and Wan Azmi are opportunistic Kelantanese out to make money out of MAS. Azman Yahya already got something out of the stupid IT outsourcing program.

    Rohana is Ananda Krishnan's stooge and giving feedback to AK or Air Asia.

    Immediately get rid of Danny, the new head of Engineering and CFO.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jasper Bloodstone5:18 pm

    I am curious - which were MAS's "bad years" and "good years" and the corresponding Managing Directors/CEOs?

    I don't think Tan Sri Aziz would have taken kindly to the MAS union throwing it's weight around or to government "interference" over "national service".

    MAS has always been faced with this dilemma - to be totally profit-oriented or to make profits secondary and subservient to national service, domestic priorities and social agendas?

    And unless that dilemma is sorted out and conclusively resolved, MAS will just keep stumbling from crisis to crisis. Union grandstanding notwithstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous6:32 pm

    Tan Sri Bashir is a good choice. Or we could get the restless younger ones who dashed around in the MAS office during MAS heydays in the 80's and early 90's. Maybe they have an idea that could turn our airliner around. Probably a wee bit old by now but with age comes wisdom.
    The thing about MAS is that they couldn't just simply abandon the routes which don't make much money; or reduce the frequency of the routes like the other couriers did. They actually have a responsibility, or obliged to cover and extend their reach in every corner of the world as long as there are people who wanted to go there. Those trips are unprofitable.
    They have an obligation to cover all of those routes even if that means more money to be poured in it to cover all the expenses. And if the journey is a bit longer than usual, which requires long hours sitting on the plane, you will need a little bit of luxury for your comfort. With MAS you can have that, and in fact is well known for that. Those stuff don't come on cheap and you have to pay for it. This will contributes to higher ticket price. When that happens the customer will start to look else where.
    This is one of of the many dilemma that the management face. The body has to keep on walking though its already loosing too much blood. After all it is the pride of the nation. The aviation business is a tough one.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rocky, I think Wee Choo Keong should be conferred a Datukship, don't you think?! I think so!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous7:43 pm

    You mean all these years they did not have aviation experts running MAS?

    Sorry datuk, rethorical question.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Maybe it is time for the Government to do away with the need of appointing accountants to run Malaysian Airlines. For quite sometime now, there is a tendency to appoint chartered accountants as MDs and CEOs. But such move has been proven wrong for many private companies where these accountants while they are knowledgeable about numbers do not have marketing skills. They are unable to think of expanding the businesses. Perhaps the Government should rethink of hiring such people but consider looking at those with marketing skills

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous8:16 pm

    woi Rocky... nampak you makin lama makin bodoh dah....tulis yg bukan-bukan !!

    ReplyDelete
  19. "SIA's full-year net profit down 69%"

    "Turbulent times hit national carrier Singapore Airlines as high oil prices caused its full year net profit to take a plunge.

    "SIA posted a surprising fourth quarter loss of S$38.2 million compared to a net profit of S$171 million in the same quarter a year ago.

    "Despite high fuel prices and ongoing global economic uncertainty, group revenue for the quarter rose 3% to S$3.7 billion on-year.

    "SIA recorded a sharp 69% drop in net profit to S$336 million. In comparison, the carrier had posted a full year net profit of S$1.09 billion in the previous year." (ChannelNewsAsia).

    Let's see those SIA numbers again.

    Net profit of S$336 million for the financial year ended 31 March 2012. Fourth quarter loss of S$38.2 million.

    It's noteworthy that SIA has managed to eke out a full year net profit, in spite of high fuel prices and a downturn in the premium (First and Business Class) segment.

    One wonders how MAS can do any better, given the same operating environment, external constraints and a markedly less fuel-efficient fleet.

    Yet the MAS staff union and their political sympathisers fondly believe that rabbits can be pulled out of a hat and that MAS can reverse course as nimbly as a MiG-29 jet fighter.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jasper Bloodstone9:14 pm

    "SIA's full-year net profit down 69%"

    "Turbulent times hit national carrier Singapore Airlines as high oil prices caused its full year net profit to take a plunge.

    "SIA posted a surprising fourth quarter loss of S$38.2 million compared to a net profit of S$171 million in the same quarter a year ago.

    "Despite high fuel prices and ongoing global economic uncertainty, group revenue for the quarter rose 3% to S$3.7 billion on-year.

    "SIA recorded a sharp 69% drop in net profit to S$336 million. In comparison, the carrier had posted a full year net profit of S$1.09 billion in the previous year." (ChannelNewsAsia).

    Let's see those SIA numbers again.

    Net profit of S$336 million for the financial year ended 31 March 2012. Fourth quarter loss of S$38.2 million.

    It's noteworthy that SIA has managed to eke out a full year net profit, in spite of high fuel prices and a downturn in the premium (First and Business Class) segment.

    One wonders how MAS can do any better, given the same operating environment, external constraints and a markedly less fuel-efficient fleet.

    Yet the MAS staff union and their political sympathisers fondly believe that rabbits can be pulled out of a hat and that MAS can reverse course as nimbly as a MiG-29 jet fighter.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Tony pariah tu masa kat music business is known as the music pirate king,kata org dialah one of the culprit yg jual to the music pirates the
    original recordings of our Malaysian popular artist as well as foreign popular artists.Wallahwaalam bissawab.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Slam Dato'

    1.Selalu masuk laman,baco yo! Nak tahu perkembangan semasa.

    2.MAS kena tukar strategi. Kena 'adopt clean and zero waste mgt'. Ia TIDAK perlu kepada 'risk mgt'. Kena guna dan pakai yang Mustahak Sahaja. BUANG(atau kemudiankan) yang tidak relevan.

    3.Konsep ini sudah lama terpakai dalam perkilangan skala besar pengeluaran kereta Jepun. Cuma MAS bukan dalam sektor pengeluaran, tetapi jika di fikirkan, ia amat relevan dengan konsep ini.

    4."Local talent" lebih baik dalam sektor perhidmatan seperti MAS. Konsep 'Truly Asian'. Dulu terlalu kerap kerajaan membuat pilihan salah untuk teraju utama,merujuk kuasa dan pengaruh yang bertukar ganti.

    5.TNB sudah mengorak dan mengambil langkah yang betul dengan memberi ruang kepada 'individu' yang sudah bergelumang bertahun lama nya dalam sektor mereka. Pilihan tepat. Kita hanya saksikan usaha keikhlasan beliau kelak.

    6.MAS mesti seperti 'emas' dalam kata logo mereka. Jadikan kenyataan di mana ia bernilai seperti emas!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous2:06 am

    hahah... Outsource la! What we have here are monkeys !

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous2:14 am

    so these are aviation guru? pls! Tell them go fuck themselves !

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous2:15 am

    so these are aviation gurus? hahaha tell them go fuck themselves !!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous7:56 am

    Bring back Tan Sri aziz..Thats it..he is no nonsense guy..

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous9:38 am

    Suka hati kau lah LABU! (Rocky)

    The fact is mana MELAYU reti berniaga,,kebanyakan mereka semua MELAYU SUBSIDI,,!!!!

    Agak-agak kalu GOMEN tak bagi SUBSIDI,,mereka bole HIDUP tak?!!!!

    Tanyalah 1 BILION DOLLAR MAN,,!!!


    -HARAM JADAH-

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous10:10 am

    DPP, go study and make a research before blabbering with your usual stupid comments. Everyone is a novice but with right business strategy, acumen and support, they will be as good as any so-called foreign expert. Khazanah must not be allowed to interfere with MAS anymore but be revamp thoroughly first to get rid of the parasites incl Amokh and Danny Maid. MAS will be the most ideal place to seek out the candidate.

    DPP, get a life with your own race.

    ReplyDelete
  29. damansaraman11:00 am

    Joe Black

    'Those were good' have a long exemplary track record. They were part of the team that put MAS as World's Best Airline for many years when SIA or Emirates were no where near.

    They should be able to advice based on their experience.

    But new blood from the fields of Airlines, Branding, Marketing Communication, and Strategic Management should be included in.

    MOST IMPORTANTLY the Board and the Government MUST UNDO MANY STUPID CONTRACTS that is killing MAS. This alone can solve many of MAS problem.

    SECONDLY MAS must look into fully utilizing its mammoth workforce of 20,000 people; and terminating them is not the most brilliant idea either. MAYBE MAS could look seriously into expanding its Firefly brand, and turning it into a world class free frill airline servicing both domestic, regional and international routes. MAS have all the needed hardware, software, manpower and experience to match both Tiger Air and Air Asia.

    SUPER DUPER IMPORTANTLY MAS must have a TRUE CEO & MANAGEMENT TEAM that is devoted to MAS and MAS only. Do away from Khazanah, and Air Asia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone4:23 pm

      I wonder which survey or ranking rated MAS as the "World's Best Airline"?

      Was it Skytrax, Business Traveller, Travel + Leisure et al?

      Anyway, in the last few years, I think it's SIA that has been consistently ranked amongst the 3 best airlines in the world.

      Delete
  30. Mazlan11:18 am

    Rocky,

    There are plenty of Malaysians working at top level at SIA, Cathay Pacific and with the Gulf Carriers. A number of them actually ex-MAS staff. No need to take on these old retired Government servants. Just pick out those Malaysians thriving abroad....

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous1:19 pm

    DENGAN BESAR HATI....DAN DENGAN BANGGANYA, SAYA CADANGKAN THE SUPERB MALAY AVIATION EXPERT, TAJUDDIN RAMLI TO COME BACK AND HELM MAS in this most difficult and challenging times!!!!.....

    (saya baca dulu-dulu media malaysia kata dia ni memang handal woooooooooooooo!!!.....saya belom lupa!)

    gheng lama

    ReplyDelete
  32. Olek Skilgannon7:19 pm

    damansaraman 11:00 AM

    I am intrigued by your claim (verifiable, no doubt) that MAS was the "World's Best Airline for many years when SIA or Emirates were no where near".

    Is that reflecting on past glories or contemplating the current state of play in the airline industry?

    The US travel magazine 'Travel + Leisure' (www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011) lists the top 10 international airlines in 2011 as SIA, Emirates, Etihad, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Korean Air, Thai Airways and Qatar Airways.

    Skytrax (www.worldairlineawards.com) lists the world's best airlines in 2011 as Qatar Airways, SIA, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Etihad, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Turkish Airlines and Emirates.

    I don't see MAS appearing in either of the above lists. An oversight?

    In any case, SIA, on it's website (www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/about-us/sia.history/sia-awards) claims that "SIA is the world's most awarded airline", and goes on to list the awards it has won, by year.

    So, to borrow bru's phrase, are there "real aviation experts" running SIA, seeing as how they manage to remain profitable year after year?

    Or is it because SIA's unions are tranquilly quiescent?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous7:22 pm

    Basically, we need both a visionary and a firm leader in the cockpit. Steady hands to steer the aircraft through turbulence.

    I plumb for Hassan Merican who fits the bill like a T, failing which Aziz Rahman is a good substitute. People who balk at the notion that HM is a novice when it comes to aviation are yapping cock for a maestro who build up our and only world class company is bound to exercise that touch anywhere, everywhere, insyallah.
    The grapevine is also abuzz with rumours that HM is keen to be back in Malaysia after his ouster by a conniving stupid Chingkie bastard wallflower in Khazanah. About time we rid all Chingkie bastards from sensitive posts from within the system if this nation is to progress.

    Anyway, as I said, a visionary since strategic planning is sorely required to outline priorities.Thta done, the firm hand can make its play to bring MAS to even keel before the airline soars on towards those envisioned heights. All that implies revisiting the essentials like the cost structure, productivity, optimization of human resource, embedding technology into the micro and macro structures, cost rationalisation in relation to stuff like catering, maintenance etc. In short the whole works and in the process of reviewing and rengineering, realigning MAS flight path towards the desired strategic objectives.

    The tieup with AA was costly in terms of route cannibalization, route termination etc but a lesson well learnt in that teaming up with poseur aviationists and sundry claptrap is a recipe for disaster. The advisers behind that dangerous liaison must be professionally guillotined and thoroughly investigated to ferret out illegal pecuniary gains those fuckers reaped.

    FireFly offered MAS the leverage to corner a sizeable niche of the low-cost market but with that killed off by AA, an opportunity to develop MAS equivalents of Scoot/Tiger has suffered a temporary setback. The key would be revivification of FF an an intermediate passenger haulier and the expansion & cooption of MASWings to serve the peninsular-EM route. AA be damned by the competition.

    In fact, talk of AA migrating to Spore was all poppycock cum ejaculated by a jilted bitch via its paid wenchmen. For can you imagine moneylaundering Singapore with Scoot, Tiger etc allowing a hub for a soon to be bankrupt pie in the sky from Malaysia even if that pie had suitcases of dirty clothes to launder....(cough)?

    Finally, MAS problems will eventually resolve unlike this shit which is slowly lumbering into the perfect storm unbeknownst and clueless :

    http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/singapore-air-s-charm-fades-as-rivals-cash-in-1.1018269

    People might be scrapping the shit barrel or the sty for shitcrumbs of comfort but the resounding echo from the shock is that this was totally unexpected as even this ST blurb indicates:

    http://www.straitstimes.com/Premium/Premium_20120510.html

    In fact, analysts polled were unanimous about profits:
    "an average S$89 million net profit predicted by a Dow Jones Newswires poll of five analysts...."

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/singapore-airlines-reports-surprise-q4-net-loss-2012-05-09

    Reliable insider data indicates critical problems ahead with deferment of aircraft orders looming, staff slaughter especially pilot attrition accelerating, culling of premium routes, some of which are running on empty now. There are also financial blackholes in the balance sheet which will manifest themselves over the short term paanicking institutional investors to cash out and culminating in eventual recapitalization. Get your popocorns, folks, for when the full whammy from the Euro hits, beginning the second half of 2012, you can bet your last S-dollar that something is gonna fall outta the sky and crash into Changi....hahahahahahahaha...Mark my words. By the way, my earlier prediction of Spore experiencing eventual national demise after being slammed by the Euro fallout within 2 years is slowly coming to fruition as ripening fruits taking their sweet time do.

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone4:11 pm

      I dunno why this cool maruah intellect keeps on wanking about SIA, Changi Airport and Singapore. It maybe a reflection of a rampant inferiority complex or an acknowledgment that maruah intellects don't have all the answers in a globalised world.

      That's another debate for another day.

      It's curious, though, that the warrior has neglected to mention that SIA has been profitable for it's past 5 financial years, from FY07/08-11/12.

      I had posted the figures in the "Dave Avram" thread on this blog.

      In how many of it's past 5 financial years has MAS been profitable?

      Gotcha there, dude!

      As far as Changi Airport is concerned, the CEO of Changi Airport Group said it could reach a milestone 50 million passengers this year if it achieves 7.5 per cent growth (Singapore Business Times, 11 May 2012, www.businesstimes.com.sg).

      For the 12 months ended March 2012, Changi recorded 48 million passengers, up 12 per cent y-o-y.

      The Changi Airport Group (CAG) is committed to a S$2 billion capacity expansion and enhancement programme at Changi Airport. This will raise the airport's handling capacity from 66 million to 85 million passengers per annum, an increase of almost 30 per cent.

      That doesn't sound like an airline and an airport in terminal decline, the warrior's wet dreams notwithstanding.

      Let's see MAB's story for KLIA, with statistics thrown in.

      Oh, btw, at the 7th Changi Airline Awards, AirAsia got an award for strongest growth in passenger traffic at Changi for 2011 from South-east Asia (Singapore Business Times, 11 May 2012). Other recipients of awards included the Jetstar Group (Partner of the Year), Tiger Airways (Singapore), Qatar Airways (Middle East) and Turkish Airlines (Europe).

      It looks as though MAB has it's work cut out to persuade Jetstar, Tiger Air, Qatar Air and Turkish Airlines to up their game at KLIA.

      Maybe they are hoping that the MAS-Firefly combo can make up slack and the numbers at KLIA.

      Here's hoping.....

      Delete
    2. Jasper Bloodstone4:21 pm

      A point of clarification - wasn't Hassan Marican ousted as the head honcho of Petronas by none other than the PM himself, seeing as how the PM of the day calls the shots as far as Petronas is concerned?

      And hasn't HM gotten himself a few plum corporate posts south of the Causeway?

      So, why would he even bother to take on the MAS imbroglio? Unless, of course, he has visions of reprising what JYM Pillay achieved at SIA!

      Delete
  34. Anonymous9:05 pm

    Rocky

    Mula-mula, bawak balik Hassan Marican ex Petronas tu dulu. Letak dia kat Khazanah ganti Amok. Lepas tu, revamp Khazanah, baru ngam nak make the changes kat GLCs including MAS ...

    ReplyDelete
  35. I guess your postulations are rather contradictory. Tony did not have any aviation experience when he took over Air Asia other than as a passenger!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Datuk,

    They say fish get rotten from the head.

    In MAS's case, its the shareholders; Khazanah Holdings Bhd. The past 10 years:

    1. Khazanah did pump in money. But not on CAPEX. MAS's business model as a premium 5 star carrier is the Golden Club Class/First Class. This product is probably 30% more operation cost (per pax) but rake in 300-500% in revenue. MAS's wide body fleets are at least 15 yrs old. How do MAS expect to corner the business class market with 22 yr old B747-400s?

    Khazanah appointed BOD failed to approve substantial fleet change/upgrade/revitalisation plan the past 10 years.

    MAS lost out to competitors like SIA, Cathay, Thai, Emirates, Etihad and even lately, Garuda. Even Vietnam Airlines B777-200s are newer than ours.

    Garuda is a good model where they revitalized their wide body fleet completely.

    Look at Etihad. There was no 'Etihad Airlines' as of 9 years ago. Now, they hv 66 aircrafts. Majority, wide body.

    MAS should hv replaced the B747-400s with B777-300s, for lucrative intercontinental markets, the moment they new the A380-800s were to face late delivery.

    This should hv been done in 2007-8, when fuel prices escalated like mad.

    No point Khazanah 'plugging the leak' all the time when they did not do to buy new boats, with lesser problems.

    2. Khazanah appointed BOD should hv insisted and really fought for the online generated booking system & flexible fare scheme, the moment AirAsia was allowed to do it 10 years ago

    3. MAS's problem today is 'matching' the revenue to operations cost. Actually, this had been the past 10 years. How to match when operating cost is high, as old aircrafts guzzle 20-30% more fuel and 100% costlier to maintain?

    4. BOD should never really had yield revenue mechanism, after taking over from Tajudin Ramli 10 yrs ago. TR's problem was USD was costly against RM. Had the mechanism been incepted, MAS could rationalize its services/destinations/frequency etc.

    5. When revenue is based on destination yield mechanism, than easier to plan for newer aircraft operations.

    Many would ask how could MAS pay of new debts. Well. disposal of old aircrafts would bring substantial cash for deposit of newer ones. Operations based on revenue yield would cover cost.
    Hence, service the debts of the new wide body acquisition.

    6. Azman Mokhtar's and Danny Yusof's Binafikir solution to solve TR's problem 10 yrs ago was to do Wide Asset Unbundling (WAU), when the issue was MAS had to pay back debts TR brought forth from the 17 B777-200 and 12 odd A330-200/300s fleet, in costlier USD. MAS under TR's watch never really had high cost of operations.

    MAS WAUed its aircraft fleet to PMB, another GLC. Aircraft trading/leasing is a big bucks business. The proceeds from this could finance MAS's constatnt fleet revilatisation every 5-7 years and product upgrade.

    I feel Khazanah did not really put their hearts and minds into MAS and obviously, they did not hv the right ppl in the BOD the past 10 years.

    Yes, I totally agree with you that personalities like Tan Sri Bashir be brought into BOD. Even Tengku Azmil should be brought in as BOD. Khazanah didn't really give him a fair chance and space, to realize what he needed to do, after Idris Jala 'rationalized' MAS the first time 6 years ago.

    The people Tony 'Greedy Ular' Fernandes brought in from AirAsia should also go. MAS hv enough talents to be promoted.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous9:28 am

    Taruk Mahathir lah as CEO. See whether he can do it. Sure the kapalterbang will TERANGKAT tak payah isi minyak. After 6 months everything tergadai dan lenyap dengan sendirinya.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous10:01 am

    Jaguh kampung mentality prevails in this country. Mati2 must find a towering Melayu to run Khazanah and MAS, otherwise mana ada maruah ?

    It's the same reason why successful professionals won't come back to help MAS. It's futile, and we should resign ourselves to the next 30 years of govt subsidy. Don't worry about the losses, just carry on.

    Wahab Abdullah

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous12:25 pm

    Warrior,
    Stop dreaming ! Chinkie bastards are here to stay! Sorry to say HM is'nt interested as he was screwed big time by you melayus! Once bitten twice shy or else why Singapore for him.Chinkies DONT PLAY ACT LIKE YOU MELAYUS...everything is politikus in BOLEHLAND !
    MAS needs a White Rajah like the old days to bring order...like the rubber estates of yester years with a stick! no unions except hard work!
    Stop worrying about SIA .They are way ahead of any airlines. So what if their profits take a dip ?.This are called small change and chinkus can afford such scraps.! Understand?

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous1:46 pm

    Damansaraman,

    Have to agree with some of your points there but FireFly should take the intermediate segment of regional plus those routes within the 8 hour time frame with MASWings occupying the lower tier of domestic.

    By the way, don't let the ignorant trolls here deflect you from the topic, man,for all they are doing is throwing bait for the uninitiated to make their pathetic day. Nor do they have any grey matter, by the dint of poor-quality genes, to provide any insightful or constructive comments except spout self-embarrassing inanities that reflect their stupidity.

    Yes, Tony F indeed does not have any aviation experience and remains an arrogant ignoramus to this day. That explains why his pie in the sky is debt-laden failing concern. Maybe , he would be better off in the laundry business....hahahahaha..wink wink

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone7:11 pm

      Sorry, but what were MAS's and AirAsia's closing prices on Bursa Malaysia today (Friday, May 11, 2012)?

      And wasn't AirAsia one of the top gainers Thursday 10 May, adding 3.1 per cent to RM3.65?

      Strange creatures, these stock exchanges!

      Delete
  41. Jasper Bloodstone2:58 pm

    Here's a thought. Why not privatise MAS to Syed Mokh for a token sum of, say, 1 Ringgit?

    After all, he's already in the running to take over a loss-making KTMB, isn't he?

    Give him carte blanche to do whatever is necessary to turn MAS around and make it profitable.

    With the proviso that there will be no bailouts or injections of public funds of and into MAS.

    After all, with his impeccable political pedigree, he is unlikely to be blindsided by the MAS unions, politicians etc.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Jasper Bloodstone6:03 pm

    Reuters: Emirates reports 72% profit plunge on fuel costs.

    Emirates had profit of 1.5 billion dirhams (RM1.24 billion) on revenue of 62.3 billion dirhams for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2012.

    This was in spite of a 44.4% rise in the airline's fuel bill to 24.3 billion dirhams (40% of total costs).

    See, still profitable!

    Cathay Pacific posted a 61% drop in 2011 profit. But also profitable!

    What's the magic formula that allows them to cope with high fuel bills?

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous7:36 pm

    Damansaraman and the rest of the spectators here:

    Dint I say the obvious too obviously at 1.46pm. Observe what unfolded thereafter.....hahahahahaha

    Relax guys....just ignore the dross and move on for its normal for attention seekers like troll and his ilk to throw tantrums to salve their infantile egos.

    Poor ignored inconsequential Chingkie boys!

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone10:14 am

      Making lame excuses for being unable to refute the points I raised?

      And here you are, passing yourself off as some ersatz expert on the airline industry.

      It must be tough, exercising that cool maruah intellect.

      Especially when the likes of MAS and MAB are fighting in a no-holds-barred competition.

      Time will tell if SIA and Changi Airport will have the last laugh over MAS and KLIA.

      It's all about trends and numbers, dude. Not infantile racist politicking!

      Delete
  44. Anonymous12:20 am

    Warrior 231

    Pretty prescient even on minor things, eh man! U are Da' Man lah dei!.

    I mean the moment you put 1.46pm up, the drivel started right on cue and didn't stop until some 3 and half hour later!! Poor thing must be suffering from some psycho constipation that alternates with emotional diarrhea.

    Warrior Fan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone10:16 am

      Oh, puhleese...is that the best you can come up with?

      How about rebutting the numbers, eh?

      Delete
  45. Jasper Bloodstone4:13 pm

    "Indonesia's richest man invests in national carrier" (Channel NewsAsia)

    "Garuda Indonesia said a recent investment in the company by the country's richest businessman, Chairul Tanjung, is a boost to the national carrier's plans to expand. Trans Airways, a non-operating investment entity owned by Mr Tanjung, bought a 10.9 per cent stake in Garuda last month for US$166.8 million.

    ""Having a big group holding a chunk of our shares is quite positive because I think it gives us more leverage, more muscles in terms of growing the business," Garuda President and CEO Emirsyah Satar told Channel NewsAsia."

    So, we have San Miguel Corp owning a stake in a privatised Philippine Airlines and Mr Tanjung's Trans Airways owning a stake in Garuda.

    Any of Malaysia's richest business tycoons willing to take a substantial stake in MAS? How about Robert Kuok, the Genting Group, the boss of Public Bank or Syed Mokh?

    It would be better for the government to get rid of this albatross by privatising MAS to a business tycoon who can take the airline by the scruff of it's neck, shake it up, restructure it and restore it to it's profitable glory days, with union sensitivities playing second fiddle.

    It's way better than subjecting MAS to the whims and fancies of bureaucrats and clueless political appointees.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous7:35 pm

    10.14 and 10.16am just confirmed your prescience again, Warrior 231. You d man lah. Didn't you say:

    "...its normal for attention seekers like troll and his ilk to throw tantrums to salve their infantile egos."

    Bull eye again, Warrior, what more to say about being right on cue?
    ROFL watching 10.14 and 10.16am begging for attention in the form of a response. But I think forget rebuttinglah Warrior, waste of time as we know where it will lead to.

    Just wanna share this:

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304636404577294803002359924.html

    Not bad for a minor airline, eh when fuel costs are used as excuses galore

    Domestic control sounds real important, now.Maybe MAS can think about that.

    Warrior Fan

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous9:43 pm

    Who has been the ersatz aviation experts in our midst tumbling over his own comments in the process? take a good look in the mirror.

    I doubt Warrior is interested in rebutting o a numskull.

    Anyway, the numbers from AA is coming in and one research house puts the figures down to:

    "We foresee yield improvement in FY12F driven primarily by the exit of Firefly's jet operations from Nov 2011."
    http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/16/business/11297141&sec=business

    Remember, Warrior talking how AA cannibalised MAS to ensure its survival. Bingo!

    By the way, the laughs just about to start:

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/singapore-airlines-to-halt-athens-abu-dhabi-flights.html

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/airbus-a380-wing-cracks-threaten-on-deliveries-as-costs-rise-1-.html

    Maybe its time to hide instead of ranting like a mad man.

    Warrior Fan

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous9:45 pm

    We foresee yield improvement in FY12F driven primarily by the exit of Firefly's jet operations from Nov 2011. As a comparison, AirAsia's yields grew 8% year-on-year in 4Q11, reversing a 2% to 21% year-on-year yield contraction in the past two years. With the assumption of a seasonal contraction of 8% in 1Q versus 4Q (historical three-year trend), we estimate 1Q12 yields at 15.5 sen per RPK, which implies an 11% year-on-year growth.

    Says a lot about a thief.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous11:44 am

    I was very surprised to read about the 25 year catering contract awarded to Brahim as MAS airlines catering service company.

    Was it sheer coincidence that it was awarded in 2008 when Pak Lah, Ibrahim's brother was PM ?

    It seems reasonable for road concessions to be awarded for a period of more than 10 years. But for catering ? Surely not.

    Belambak catering services in Malaysia and kalau risau sangat your catering services tak pandai classy, on board menu, hit the ground running lah by preparing staff for training in such kitchens.

    Pilferage. I visited a friend recently and she served packets of MAS ground nuts. When I asked how did she get so many when at most I would get two packets. She said a MAS crew just gave her a whole bag full, unsolicited.

    I think this fact sums up the real reason why MAS is in such bovine mess. Not just its engines, the whole MAS company needs to be overhauled from top to bottom - from chairman to lowest level staff. MAS is not competitive due to too much extraneous cost aside from the usual fuel, plane and labour costs.

    I say sack all while renegotiating yearly renewable contracts for necessary operating labour and services.

    Etihad, Emirates serves great food and personal service at so much cheaper fares. Why can’t MAS ? MAS used to get rave reviews for fare, food and service. Certainly I've lost all pride in MAS.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Anonymous1:32 am

    Warrior Fan

    Thanks for the input, man. The details about Garuda just emphasises my point regarding MAS-Firefly vis-a-vis AA. Interesting too at a time of spiraling fuel costs the fuel for excuses elsewhere, profits rose albeit on the back of domestic takings and that means beating the daylights out of local competitors in Indonesia like AA Indonesia, Lion Air, Wings, Kartika etc. Some achievement there.


    It is no point talking over spilt milk locally but probably the expensive lesson MAS has learnt thru sacrificing FF for the sake of a shameless thief must be pretty edifying on hindsight.Serves Najib right for trusting his Chingkie bastard adviser.

    By the way, your Amresearch link was informative in more ways than one. AmRE must be one of the few with misplaced optimism but even their target price of 4.10 is lower than AA's price last August. But then again that is an overoptimistic take on things. My insiders say that AA will be trading within 1.30-2.00 range by year's end before going into meltdown next year.

    As for SIA, lets just sit back and enjoy as the games are just beginning........

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone1:31 pm

      What about Chairul Tanjung acquiring a 10.9% stake in Garuda?

      Funny that you have seemingly overlooked the fact that Indonesia's richest person has plonked down US$167 million for this acquisition.

      The new Garuda CEO is running the airline as a lean, mean profit-oriented machine, with an emphasis on new aircraft, efficiency and customer service. None of this fiddle-faddle about "national service" etc.

      As a point of interest, Garuda operates more flights daily and weekly between Jakarta and Singapore than it does between JKT and KUL. Which goes to show that profits truimph over ideology, sometimes!

      Delete
  51. Olek Skilgannon6:22 pm

    I suggest that the warrior read the report "Contrasting fortunes for MAS, AirAsia" in The Star today, May 18, 2012.

    Is he suggesting that the analysts in OSK Research, RHB Research, AmResearch and Maybank IB have got it all wrong with regard to the 2 airlines?

    Wowee, that's a brave call!

    By the way, just who are these "insiders" who prognosticate on AirAsia? Would you care to name some names, or are they content to be cloaked under a comfortable cloud of unattributable anonymity?

    I can summon up another bunch of "insiders" who can wax bullish on AirAsia.

    As for SIA, my "insiders" tell me that you will be weeping and gnashing your teeth as another symbol of your angst resolutely refuses to fade into irrelevance.

    But that's par for the course for you, is it not?

    ReplyDelete
  52. Olek Skilgannon6:29 pm

    Oh, by the way, has YB Wee CK, for all his blogging, come out with a solid and sensible strategy on how MAS can be turned around into something efficient, rightsized and profitable?

    Or is he just another politician who is grandstanding and emoting, while being blissfully unaware of the realities of the airline industry?

    In his crusade against AirAsia, Tony Fernandes and the share swap, has he taken the trouble to talk to the CEOs of other international airlines, airline industry analysts or even the guys who run IATA about the state of play in the industry?

    If he has, and he should have done so in order to express a fair and balanced view, he has been noticeably coy about it.

    Now, why do you suppose that is?

    ReplyDelete
  53. EconomicGangsters1:36 am

    The airline industry is a national pride everywhere. Partly due to its high technology and heavy capital investment and national airspace involved.

    Thus it is timely to set up a RCI into why MAS and MAHB are costing so much money. The goons who tend to benefit from these billions are the real culprits not the workers. These goons are those in the Finance Ministry and Transport who connived to create multi billion projects for them and their cronies.

    How then can AirAsia make profits with the same high cost of fuel but free tickets. They dont. They are just ponzi schemes waiting to blow up.

    But their main play is building airports. Tony Fernandes and Sulaiman Mahbob was denied Nilai but now he is scheming with Perak MB to build billion ringgit LCT in Perak.

    The lanun are getting reckless. Why not Bashir seems to get away with 4 billion LCCT. It seems so easy. No budgetary control no Finance Ministry oversight.

    Everything pass. You want escalator ok..another billion, you want baggage handler changed? No problem another billion...

    Who is running the Finance Ministry is it still Mahathir crony?

    ReplyDelete
  54. Jasper Bloodstone9:37 am

    "ponzi schemes", eh?

    I guess that makes the foreigners who own 51% of AirAsia suckers ripe for the taking?

    Or the analysts who cover AirAsia a bunch of lemmings who have been seduced by the Pied Piper?

    What would you call a government that relies on a national oil corporation for 40+% of it's revenue budget, while maintaining a 5% of GDP budget deficit and a suffocating regime of subsidies, price controls and handouts? A "Ponzi Scheme" or short-term fiscal irresponsibility?

    It's good to clarify these things, right?

    ReplyDelete
  55. Tuan Besar9:57 pm

    Try putting NON-MALAY as CEO. The "ketuanan" thing messes things up.Ketuanan does not work overseas....so Mas will bungkus forever and ever and ever as long as the "ketuanan"is there.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Jasper Bloodstone8:54 pm

    I thought that MAS did have a non-Malay Managing Director, Saw Huat Lye, early on in it's history?

    By all accounts, he did a good job during his tenure as MAS MD

    So, there should be no qualms about getting the best qualified person (he or she, Malaysian or foreigner, Malay or non-Malay) to run MAS.

    Unless, of course, there are parochial agendas at play and atavistic nationalist sentiments to be appeased.

    The same sentiments that see nothing wrong in pouring yet more public funds into the morass iithat MAS is in, and which labours under the impression that unlimited government largesse does away with the need for efficiency, productivity and service improvements in the airline.

    Wouldn't it be wonderful if the airline industry lived on such fairy tales instead of eking out a hand-to-mouth existence?

    ReplyDelete