KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s (MAB) union has raised questions about the appointment of Morgan Stanley as a strategic consultant to explore options for the airline, including a potential stake sale.
The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) asked whether the investment bank knows about the ins and outs of MAB employees and worries that Morgan Stanley would recommend trimming of more employees while using “everything in the book” to undermine them.
“Malaysia Airlines is now facing trust deficit from the people. The government must do what is necessary to save the newly-restructured airline and change the way how it does things.
“Khazanah Nasional (the sole shareholder of MAB) cannot simply run to the consultants each time for help (to turn the airline around).
“What will they know and how much it will cost the tax payers this time? Why not use our local expertise? Are we really that short of local aviation experts?
“Each time we hear there will be plans to restructure Malaysia Airlines, they will call in the entire circus,” the union secretariat said in a statement yesterday.
Nufam said Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s previous decision of shaving 6,000 workers and shelving international routes were mistakes that should not be repeated.
Rather than being overstaffed, the real fact is Malaysia Airlines was understaffed in its daily operations, it said, adding that there is a need to set up a task force to help identify the airline’s financial losses and to counter them.
“The best way now is to save MAB but not through hiring expensive consultant companies. It does not take a rocket scientist to know what is happening in MAB today.
“A foreign company wouldn’t know the real problems of the in-house staff sentiments. We are afraid they will suggest thousands of employees to be laid off again like the last time,” it said.
The union said the government must immediately stop Malaysia Airlines’ daily losses while setting the management of the airline straight and placed it into a right direction.
“Malaysia Airlines is losing RM3 million by the day and that bleed won’t stop if the government continue to be slow in their decision,” it said.
Nufam proposed that MAB to be placed under a special purpose vehicle under the Prime Minister Office, while the salaries of its top-heavy management ought to be reviewed and do away immediately with bulk contracts.
“There are also (a lot of) wastage in MAB where we were told some orders made for aircraft and spare parts have been overcharged.
“If these things are true, then the government need to act on it by forming a task force to identify these issues quickly.
“Selling the airline is also another story on whether new buyers are willing to take over the chunk of issues and debts in MAB,” Nufam pointed out. – Bernama
