CAPITAL A Bhd CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandez’s call for SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) to be more transparent about its recruitment practices, particularly regarding the hiring of aircraft engineers from Malaysia Airlines is uncalled for, said an expert.
Social Protection Contributors Advisory Association Malaysia (SPCAAM) International Labour Adviser Callistus Antony D’Angelus was referring to Fernandez’s LinkedIn post on Friday (Sept 13) where the businessman had questioned SIAEC’s claim that only 10% of its hires were from Malaysia Airlines Berhad Engineering Services (MAB Engineering).
In his post, Fernandez had further raised concerns about the qualifications and salaries of the remaining 90% of employees.
“Why should SIAEC disclose anything to Fernandez or anyone else for that matter? What business does other companies have to enquire about any of SIAEC’s practices? Has SIAEC engaged in anything illegal?” asked D’Angelus.
“What the likes of Fernandez has to reckon with is that SIAEC has managed to attract workers into their fold.”
According to D’Angelus, if MAS – or any other companies, for that matter – are losing their staff, they should simply step up their game to attract and retain their employees.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail was previously reported as saying that national carrier had lost only 12 engineers to SIAEC.
For context, SIAEC opened a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Subang in Sept 2023 through its subsidiary, Base Maintenance Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
On this issue, D’Angelus went on to reckon that Malaysian employees have had it too easy in this regard where the system had allowed them to depress wage levels through various means and mechanisms while allowing for a systemic exploitation of the Malaysian workforce.
“The reaction to MAS losing workers to SIAEC suggests that no employer should pay higher and accord better treatment towards workers, just so that wage levels can be kept low and exploitative employment practices continue,” he stated.
D’Angelus said MAS should look inwardly and examine why it has not managed to retain workers rather than blaming the company that has done what is right for its business which in turn benefits Malaysian workers and the Malaysian economy.
“If Fernandez has an issue with the Singaporean government about allowing him to run a business in the city-state, he should take it up separately with them,” he added.
In his LinkedIn post last Friday, recall that Fernandez had also criticised the lack of similar opportunities for AirAsia in Singapore.
“We have been trying to get AirAsia Singapore approved. We are in five Asean countries. The people of Singapore have little choice,” he had lamented, adding that his attempt to buy a low-cost carrier in Singapore was rejected. – Sept 17, 2024
