By Capt Kamil Abu Bakar
IT is about time the staff be asked why despite the repeated ” bailouts” by the Government or Khazanah to the tune of RM 8 bil, MAB continues to bleed for years.
Compare that to Singapore Airlines (SIA). We started on the same footing, in October 1972.
In the early days during the time of Tan Sri Saw Huat Lye, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman and even Datuk Kamarudin Ahmad, we were profitable.
Our in-flight service, having won numerous awards, can be said to be more superior.
But from 1997, the airline started going down. The increase in fuel prices cannot be blamed because all airlines pay the same price for fuel.
Even the operating cost for Malaysia Airlines should be lower because of lower staff salary.
But we were not filling up the aircraft, especially up front, the First Class, where the money is…simply because of rampant free upgrading.
For the love of the national airline, l am now going to expose where we went wrong. The major ones are:
- The mentality of the staff. They know that the Government is behind them, their job is assured and secured. So, why worry? And with the financial support there, generally it is there for everybody’s taking from all sorts of claims, duty travel, overtime, guaranteed hours etc…In other words, there was a lot of abuse.
- The airline was grossly overstaffed, the management positions are bloated. In short, the efficiency and productivity level were low.
- It is the mindset. The culture that got ingrained into the airline that cost reduction/ savings is not everybody’s concern.
I can expose more. I know a lot. And I would like to wake everybody up by putting up a simple example.
Assuming that you are a chief executive of a company, how do you achieve success? Work hard, reduce wastages, generate more revenue, be efficient, cut back on spending, be honest and tighten your belts when bad times come.
So, think about it. What will happen to you if the Government or Khazanah Nasional Bhd (Khazanah) stops pumping in money?
You will be finished. Your “private company” and family members will suffer.
More importantly, one must remember, the money that is being pumped in are from public funds and Malaysians have the right to be critical, or even angry and demand that the funding be stopped.
And it should, if there are no signs of improvement.
So, all of you, right from the top management to the lowest graded staff, must change before everybody loses everything.
Capt Izham is still the best man for the job
But the change must start from the top.
In a way, the emergence of COVID-19, if one were to look at it positively, is a blessing in disguise. It is time for everyone to reflect and ponder on what went wrong with MAB.
Prove the doubters and critiques wrong. Show that you can do it. Have a fresh start but for the airline’s survival, we all must change.
Notwithstanding all the above, let us give the chance to the present MAB’s CEO, Capt Izham Ismail to do what he knows best… which l believe he is doing.
I think Izham is still the right person to handle the “crisis.”
He has been in the industry since he was 19 years old, hands on and had been sent not only to Oxford University but also to Harvard to prepare for the job.
More importantly, Izham is intelligent, hardworking and sincere with no hidden agenda. He had faced many challenges before.
And please, no “mischievous antics” from the employee’s unions and pilots’ association. Let the management focus on the external challenges and competition with other carriers.
Regardless, the management must take care of its employees and the latter must give support to the management.
Work together as a team under the leadership of Izham.
Let’s wish him well. Give him a free hand. No interference.
At the same, Izham must also prepare and groom somebody to take over for he cannot, or is expected to be there forever.
Capt Kamil Abu Bakar was a former Malaysia Airlines Director of Flight Operations, chief pilot, Flight Safety & Security director and member of the International Advisory Committee of Flight Safety Foundation.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
