Monday, December 08, 2014

Malaysia appoints first expat to head its national carrier

"Let's hope this Lingus guy is Cunning." - A reader's comment over at A Voice (Aer Lingus is not part of a woman anatomy, 6.12.2014)
Why I have to support Mueller, like it or not. I am sure Mr Christoph Mueller will get lewd-er remarks when he reports for duty as Malaysia Airlines new CEO next year. The people of this country don't take too kindly to Malaysians who don't trust other Malaysians to run anything. It's part of our collective DNA as a people colonized by the Mat Sallehs for more than 500 years: all entities of national significance must be run and managed by Malaysians. The national carrier, the national car, the national electricity board, the national petroluem corporation, the central bank, etc. 
But that's what Khazanah has done: appoint a Mat Salleh to helm our national carrier. This is the first time since the split of the MSA in 1972 that Malaysia Airlines will be CEO-ed by a foreigner. 
The MAS trade unions have been clamouring for change for quite some time so they have no choice but to voice support for Khazanah's decision.  


"We see no choice in appointing a foreigner to bring in the expertise in turning MAS back to profitability ..." Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin. 
Okay, so the unions' support is conditional: Ismail stressed that "the decision on how and what in regard to the airline must be made by locals" and that although although Mueller will have executive powers to manage the MAS Newco, local stakeholders and MAS unions must be consulted before ay major decision be made. 
Read The Malaysian Reserve's front page today h e r e.* 
That's already a handful for Mr Mueller. But what really will decide if the German will succeed or not in turning MAS around is Khazanah itself. I mean, will Azman Mokhtar and Co allow Mr Mueller to do his job as CEO?  
If Khazanah as major shareholder of the airline is going to continue to place political considerations before business (like not allowing the airline to cancel existing lopsided contracts because they are tied to VVIPs or not cutting jobs because the unions have access to the PM), there is going to be very little that Mr Mueller can do.  
Good luck, Mr Mueller. As a Malaysian, I will fly and support the national carrier, regardless, so whether I like your appointment or not, you have my support.  

*  In the TMR article, Nufam's Ismail says the union will be pushing the government to probe Khazanah Nasional and Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad on an alleged misappropriation of RM12 billion. Y'know, I won't be surprised if Ismail were to call for an Orang Putih to take over Azman Mokhtar's position and run Khazanah ...

17 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:32 pm

    Dato Rocky, how do you say that Malaysia or Malaya was colonised ny Mat Sallehs for 500 years???
    Only Malacca bro....the rest was not. Most Malay states were not colonised that long....north its more Siamese influence...never colonised and the south relatively free....get the history right and the Malays will flourish again.

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  2. Thank you Anon, for pointing that out.

    Now that we've got our history right, let's flourish again!

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  3. How about getting the best person for the job? The person who got Singapore Airlines to where it is no and who made it a Great Way to Fly?

    How about getting Dr Cheong Choon Kong to run MAS. Afterall, he is a Malaysian. Or, was Malaysian.

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  4. Anonymous4:58 pm

    Best person for the job from the best airline company! Good luck Mueller!

    ...was it MAS? definitely not Shell. Should be MAS ..bcoz they have only lousy nasi lemak in their defect list. Good luck again Mr Mueller! you will be the CEO for the best airline company in the world. In another word... their better than you! The people outside was the real challange!

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  5. Sorry Bru, I came up with that one-liner.

    "Air Lingus is not part of a woman anatomy" It never was.

    You should prefaces it as "Air Lingus is not part of The Act." Specifically, an act to a specific part of a woman's anatomy.

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  6. Anonymous5:09 pm

    Tahun 2000 masa Tajudin nak jual saham dia pada kerajaan, Tun Mahathir sendiri tak deny the possibility of the foreign md/ceo untuk MAS ni.
    Tahun 2005, Khazanah pun ada initiate moves to bring in foreign md/ceo tapi Ketua Pemuda waktu tu, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein kata “the appointment of a foreigner to lead a nationally-owned company could be likened to allowing the country to be re-colonised, albeit in a new manner.”
    Khazanah pun backed down. Kira berkuasa jugak lah Pemuda Umno waktu tu. Selain tu, ramai jugaklah politicians yang kata local talents ramai boleh fill the position.
    Macam ni lah … sekarang ni bukan tak ada orang Malaysia yang berkelayakan untuk ambil alih tempat Ahmad Jauhari ni. Memang ada. Memang ramai. Cuma, mungkin tak ada yang berani nak step up the plate untuk ambil alih syarikat yang hampir nak bungkus dan terpaksa berdepan dengan berapa banyaknya kesatuan dalam syarikat tu. Selain tu, bukan ada free hand untuk jalankan tanggungjawab … bukan kena jawab kat board je but also terima arahan dari kerajaan dan menteri.
    Dulu ramai yang lobi nak kan position md/ceo. Masa kan tidak, jawatan ni kan paling glamor … selain jadi bos TV station lah!

    Ganggayu

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  7. Anonymous5:49 pm

    Bencinya aku kat si jenis mamat-PEMBODEK-LIBERAL!

    Patutnya ISMA/NGO-NGO Islam-Melayu-TULEN MENYAMAN Khazanah Nasional/Kem. Pengangkutan kerana MENGGADAI MAS pd. warga asing - dgn. mengambil CEO Jerman ni! Dahlah paramugari Islam/Melayu MAS diDISKRIMINASI pakai tudung dan diPAKSA hidangkan arak!

    Inilah akibatnya bila si PENGKHIANAT-LIBERAL Islam/Melayu terus MENGUASAI UMNO - keuntungan/WANG melebihi segalanya termasuk identiti/KEDAULATAN NEGARA ISLAM kita ini serta ISLAM/hak umatnya!

    Dahlah si HIPOKRIT-KEPARAT NGO Tranparency International yg. asyik nak masuk hal-ehwal kat Malaysia ni berpusat di JERMAN, pusat ZIONIS no-1 di EU - lihat di http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/02/22/351741/germany-offers-to-represent-israel/, Germany offers to represent Israel in some Muslim countries, Feb 22, 2014!

    Tengok sajalah RASUAH berleluasa kat Jerman - lihat di http://wolfstreet.com/2013/12/30/leaked-confession-cesspool-of-greek-german-corruption-2/, LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption, by Wolf Richter, December 30, 2013!

    Bahkan kat Jerman yg. kononnya negara industri-no-1 kat dunia, lagi lawak! Banyak flat-flat yg. dibina oleh sy. gergasi yang MEMONOPOLI industri pembinaan/perumahan (selalunya dari keturunan Jerman terkaya, berzaman) untuk si miskin terutamanya puak imigran - dinding nipis dari 'cardboard'! Itulah jenis dunia KAPITALIS Barat/Zionis-PENIPU/PEROMPAK/amat TAMAK!

    Dan lebih dari 300 serangan ke atas MASJID-MAJID serta umat Islam di Jerman - tapi 88% kes tak diselesaikan pun oleh POLIS mahupun PERISIKnya yg. disyaki dikuasai ejen NAZI/ZIONIS-anti Islam- lihat di http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/turkish-parliament-report-88-of-attacks-on-german-mosques-unsolved/#more-38818 , Turkish Parliament report: 88% of attacks on German mosques unsolved, Posted on November 20, 2014 by Bob Pitt , Today’s Zaman, 2014!

    Dan lihat ini di mana disyaki puak PERISIK Jerman BEKERJASAMA dgn. puak NAZI-anti Islam untuk MEMBUNUH lebih kurang 10 orang, yg. MAJORITI usahawan Turki-Islam - di http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/11/14/nsu-n14.html, New evidence points to German secret service collaboration with far-right NSU, By Christoph Dreier , 14 November 2013!

    Nenek TUA Sambal Petai.

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  8. at least this fella ada experience dlm aviation klau nak banding pakar jual aset mas yg pastu pakar potong subsidi tuk tunjuk ada duit masuk~

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  9. Anonymous10:16 pm

    Aiyaaaa why susah !!!
    We have a proven home talent ... give it to him .
    That Tony fella .....who else .

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  10. Anonymous1:11 am

    A quick glance at the mentality of 5.49pm's rant would suggest that "reverse-flourishing" is going to be on the cards for decades to come.

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  11. Dear Rocky:

    You should enlighten your readers on two points.

    One, while we were indeed colonized by the Mat Sallehs for over 500 years, they were the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, never the Irish or German. As for the Germans, yes they did indeed colonize parts of Africa. As for the Irish, they themselves were once colonized by the English. Some Irishmen still have not forgotten that fact to this day. Once in a while the silly ones among them acted up on their emotions on this point. The smarter ones are busy trading with British and or otherwise making money on them, as with Ryan Air recently attempting to buy British Airways.

    Mat Sallehs are not all the same or burdened by the same history. Likewise us brown folks. Look at America. On its colleges there are many brown-skinned professors (Harvard Business School is led by an Indian); likewise many of its corporations are led by brown skins (Coco Cola, Microsoft).

    This brings me to my second point. Malaysia should seek the best talents to lead its companies, colleges, and institutions. If they happen to be foreigners or have different skin color, so what?

    In all my thirteen years of schooling in Malaysia I had fewer than five Malay teachers. If I had to depend only on Malay teachers, I would still be in the kampong.

    So Malaysians, in particular Malays of the Perkasa persuasion, grow up!

    Just as our prophet exhorted us to go to China to acquire knowledge, so too we should seek from among those with brown, yellow, white, and black skin for the best talent to lead or teach our people.

    M Bakri Musa
    www.bakrimusa.com

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  12. Anonymous7:27 am

    It is a great waste for having best ceo award annually. Just a jaguh kampung only.

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  13. Anonymous11:36 am

    Anonymous 5.49 are your typical extreme Muslim . There believe only their islam is right in their narrow definition. These type of people preach hate just like ISIS. These are the typical of people who would join ISIS and kill other Muslim. The are more Muslims who died in the hand of Muslim than by non-Muslim. These people lives without logic and only promote hate as their theme.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:02 pm

      11.36.
      Don't hurl accusations based on hearsay. Back up your arguments with hard facts.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous2:19 pm

    Nufam tu tak blh pakai dato rocky

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  15. Teamster1235:04 pm

    You must forgive NTUC 5:49 pm.

    People like him (or her) don't understand commercial realities, competition, the need to earn one's keep and not to depend on handouts etc etc.

    It makes one despair for the future of Malaysia.

    This particular individual knows zilch about the global aviation industry. That's zilch, zip, zero.

    Instead he (or she) goes off on a tangent and raises all sorts of extraneous and irrelevant issues.

    I can see the folks at Emirates, SIA, Garuda etc having a good laugh at the stupidity of certain Malaysians who aspire to become wannabe patriots.

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  16. Anonymous8:54 pm

    We could always recall Hassan Marican from Singapore to do "national service" once more & take up the top post at MAS.

    Voila - instant credibility!

    ReplyDelete