KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim criticised the non-transparency in decisions made by the previous administration, which opened up opportunities for certain cronies to destroy companies, especially those symbolising national pride like Malaysia Airlines.
“Sometimes, non-transparent political or national decisions open up the chance for one or two cronies to ruin a company that we are proud of.
“Because of those mistakes, the company remains a burden to us to this day,” he said in his speech at the 30th anniversary celebration of Khazanah Nasional Bhd today.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, stated that decisions made with the intent of protecting the interests of a few cronies had sidelined the interests of the nation and its people, Bernama reported.
However, the prime minister mentioned that efforts to revive the national airline have already been initiated by Khazanah Nasional.
“I commend Khazanah for their efforts – but it takes time. For the government, almost every week in cabinet meetings, we discuss recovery and reforms, (and) how to help save national institutions,” he said.
Anwar emphasised that the government is fully committed to ensuring the airline’s success because it is the nation’s flagship carrier and must rise again to continue providing excellent service.
In addition, he praised other companies under Khazanah’s management that have achieved success abroad, such as Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which owns Istanbul Sabiha Göçken International Airport in Turkiye.
“In my discussions with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, he expressed his confidence in MAHB’s ability to manage and operate a major airport in Istanbul. This demonstrates the capabilities of companies under Khazanah’s management,” he said, as quoted by Bernama.
Anwar added that in the “new normal era”, characterised by “chaos, complexity, and contradictions,” Malaysia needs to drive a more immediate and fresh reform movement in line with the aspirations of the Madani economy to continue moving forward.
Therefore, it is crucial for Khazanah to shoulder this responsibility to support the nation’s economic reform and revitalisation efforts, he said.
Earlier, several aviation experts opined that the shortages in supply chains, workforce, and spare parts, as well as delays in aircraft deliveries, have pressured Malaysia Airlines to operate under “troubled conditions.”
Brendan Sobie, an independent analyst at Singapore-based aviation analysis and consultancy firm Sobie Aviation, said that like many other airlines, it has been challenging to maintain operations due to the ongoing constraints in the industry over the past few years.
“Malaysia Airlines is not alone, but unfortunately, they have been particularly affected in recent months compared to others. The situation has worsened in the past few months with no aircraft or spare parts available,” he said in an interview with CNBC recently.
On August 24, Malaysia Aviation Group, which operates Malaysia Airlines, announced plans to reduce flights and routes from now until December 2024.
The decision was made in response to recent disruptions in their services, which impacted Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and Amal flight services during the week of August 19, 2024. – September 3, 2024