AN intriguing yet insightful open letter on the bad habit of owing people money by a former AirAsia employee to Malaysia’s low-cost aviation mogul Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has been making its rounds in the social media of late.
The open letter, which originated from a Facebook rambling by Dr Thirunavukkarasu Karasu (TK), strikes the chord as “many people (as in AirAsia passengers) are still texting ME (sic) – asking for their refunds” even seven years after TK has left the budget carrier.
“Anyway, I hear you. And I’m pretty pissed off myself. Personally, I don’t see any difference between politicians putting their hands inside the cookie jar, and businessmen keeping money belonging to other people – for a service they DIDN’T deliver!” the Penangite pointed out in his FB posting dated Feb 16.
“Because from a moral point, it boils down to the same thing – you’re keeping what is NOT yours! Ask any four-year old what that is and they’ll tell you it’s called STEALING.”
Addressing Fernandes as “dude” and “bro”, TK who is a pilot by profession, urged the CEO of Capital A Bhd to “just pay back the effing money”.
“Please bro, don’t keep what isn’t yours (sic). Repay it. That’s what wins respect. That’s what makes people support your earnest effort to get up to the sky again. Rebranding it with another cosmetic change is kinda (sic) pathetic – akin to painting a plane blue and back to red.”
Considering himself “more unlucky” than Fernandes who enjoyed the privilege of an Eton (College) education and tycoon Sir Richard Branson’s internship, TK said he still did the honourable deed of paying all his study loans despite Malaysia being hit by a currency crisis soon after his graduation.
“Despite that, I didn’t wallow about being broke or jobless. Drove a teksi sapu (illegal taxi) in Penang (no Grab in 1998), worked as a security guard and bartending in nightclubs. No Tesla car to parade, bro,” recalled TK.
“But still, guess what’s the first thing I did? I paid my debt – even though Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) never chased me for it! And from the date of this letter, you know I paid off my debt while I was still poor.”
More cynically, TK said he also re-paid AirAsia’s RM141,000 training bill (supposedly for his pilot training).
“Not just the salary deduction for nine years, I also gave your HR (human resources department) a cheque for the balance RM 17,000 after I resigned in 2015 – which is why you (Fernandes) asked me to come back in 2016, isn’t?” he asked.
“Certainly didn’t abuse your sponsorship and then run off to Emirates/Qatar (Airways) like so many others, did I?”
TK went on to say this is what he teaches the children of today: “Pay off your debts first. Not just you, bro – it’s also my advice to all you Gen-Y and millennial kiddos,” insisted TK.
“Remember, all life debts start from the first bad habit of not repaying money you owe people – and making all sorts of excuses not to.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s a PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corp) loans – or a ticket refund. Grow a spine, show some balls, lose the entitlement mentality (and celebrity bullshit), bro. Refund your customers – and then marvel at how ‘un****ing-believable’ your airline has the potential to become.” – Feb 19, 2022
