________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of ext JB
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 6:18 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [subcon] Fwd: FW: Air Asia
-
.... Baca.. jgn tak baca.......
habis dijual negara kat Spore
Fasten Your Seat Belts : The Air Asia, Badawi, Singapore, Kamaludin, Tg
Adnan, Kalimullah Story
Posted by Raja Petra
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
By Little Bird
Kawan-kawan, please fasten your seat belts now. I thought that I knew
something about what is really going on in the administration of
Abdullah Badawi. Today I found out I have not even scratched the
surface. The following is panas-panas news. You may want to hit the
ejection button (not yours but theirs) after reading this.
Firstly, the shareholders and/or stakeholders of Air Asia (directly,
indirectly, through proxies, etc.) include Kamaluddin bin Abdullah
Badawi, Kalimullah Maseerul Hassan (also into Tune Hotels), Khairy
Jamaluddin, Tony Fernandez, etc.
We all know the story of Air Asia. Well, we all thought it was a rags to
riches story. It is actually a story about riches. The rags part is
actually very hazy.
When MAS entered into a phase of 'restructuring' about three years ago,
Air Asia, through Tony Fernandez, struck fast and furious.
Before we go further, you may want to ask why did MAS have to suffer yet
another 'restructuring'? That is a story by itself for another day but
just bear in mind that Badawi's brother, Ibrahim, is the owner of the
catering company (Skychef?) that used to supply mineral water at RM35 a
case to MAS.
With that kind of pricing, surely MAS would need 'restructuring'.
Anyway, Air Asia stepped in and pushed the Gomen for a 'rationalisation'
of the domestic air routes in Malaysia. Air Asia asked to be given MAS'
Sabah and Sarawak routes. MAS could keep flying in Semenanjung, they
said. Despite objections by MAS, Air Asia was granted its wish.
But the wish did not just happen. Zaki, a fourth floor boy at the PM's
office, helped Air Asia make its wish come true.
Once MAS lost its Sabah and Sarawak routes to Air Asia, there was a
staff redundancy. So MAS had to organise a VSS. MAS demanded that since
Air Asia was taking over their Sabah and Sarawak routes it would make
some of their staff redundant so Air Asia should pay MAS some
compensation.
Everyone (MAS, Gomen and even Air Asia) agreed that compensation was
payable to MAS. But Air Asia would not pay anything. Finally, the Gomen
(err that means you and me lah, Encik Taxpayer) paid the compensation to
MAS, which MAS promptly used in one of the most expensive VSS payments
in our history.
If your blood is starting to boil, stop reading and better cool off
because it does not get better.
Then, within one year, Air Asia realised that the Sabah and Sarawak
routes were not profitable. They never were. MAS was performing national
service in Sabah and Sarawak. Flying chickens and goats is not a
money-making venture.
No problem. Air Asia made another wish. They told the Gomen, we have to
return these air routes back to MAS. Again MAS objected. Again
overruled. Not relevant.
Then came the handing over ceremony of the air routes and the airplanes.
When they took over the Sabah/Sarawak routes, Air Asia had 'acquired'
seven airplanes from MAS in perfect working condition. (MAS does have
one of the best safety records in the world.)
However, when Air Asia 'returned' the planes to MAS, only one was left
in working condition. The other six planes were grounded, not fit for
flying and could not fly.
In actual fact, Air Asia was cannibalising parts from the six planes to
keep the seventh one flying. Again MAS objected. Again overruled. Not
relevant. It eventually cost MAS in excess of RM50 million to make the
planes flyable again. This was a direct subsidy to 'rags to riches' Air
Asia's profits.
Then Air Asia started eyeing the lucrative KL-Singapore routes. Tighten
your seat belts. This one will really jolt. But they went about it the
roundabout way. They said they wanted to go international. They did
(some) but international routes are tough. No Zaki, Badawi, Khairy,
Kalimullah or Kamaluddin to make your wishes come true.
But the KL-Singapore sector was generating RM40 million in PROFITS to
MAS. This was the plum in the pudding. Air Asia wanted it badly.
So they made another wish. It came true. This is how they did it. Air
Asia's bid to break into the KL-Singapore sector was first discussed in
Cabinet when Badawi was on holiday overseas. Najib chaired the meeting
and Air Asia's application was rejected.
The application was rejected for two main reasons:
i. By 2009 the whole of ASEAN becomes open sky anyway. ASEAN airlines
can fly to all ASEAN capitals without restrictions. So why open up
KL-Singapore in double quick time?
ii. If budget flights are allowed between KL-Singapore, KLIA will die
an unnatural death. KLIA will become a feeder airport for Singapore's
Changi. People will fly from KL to Singapore and then fly off from
Singapore to the rest of the world. MAS will then die a natural death.
So the request was declined.
Then Badawi came back from his travels and asked Tengku Adnan the
Minister of Tourism to prepare a paper on tourism, linking MAS, Air
Asia, SIA, etc., to tourist arrivals. At the next Cabinet meeting
chaired by Badawi, he asked Tengku Adnan to present the 'Cabinet paper'.
Insiders say that the paper was an 'out of Agenda' item - meaning it
surprised everyone, but the dunggus approved it nonetheless. Air Asia
got its wish again. Tengku Adnan also secured his Putrajaya seat.
Now here is the killer. Soon after Air Asia started flying the
KL-Singapore sector, they started giving away 300,000 free tickets, 5
sen tickets and all the other gimmicks. Singapore is believed to be
subsidising Air Asia for all these expensive gimmicks.
For SIA, losing RM40 million (S$17 million) profit from the KL-Singapore
sector is chicken feed. Air Asia is feeding thousands of transit
passengers from KL to Changi . Air Asia is providing RM19 bus rides from
KL to KLIA. From KLIA, passengers fly almost free to Changi. From Changi
the passengers can connect to the world.
Now, Air Asia is making another wish - they want to fly direct from
Kuching, KK, Penang, Alor Setar, Kota Bharu, etc., to Changi. They will
earn even more 'subsidies' from Singapore. KLIA will drop dead later,
MAS will die first.
This is how we go from 'rags to riches'. And we all thought Tony
Fernandez was such a great guy too. The shareholders and/or stakeholders
of Air Asia (directly, indirectly, through proxies, etc.) include
Kamaluddin bin Abdullah Badawi, Kalimullah Maseerul Hassan (also into
Tune Hotels), Khairy Jamaluddin, Tony Fernandez, etc.
Yes, we believe in open skies, competition and all that. But friends,
fellow Malaysians, this is the PM, his son, his S-I-L and his cronies
lah. How can they sell out their own country? But this is what they are
doing.
Kawan-kawan, come March 8th, 2008 you have an opportunity to hit the
button for the ejecion seat. Hit the ejection button and send these
people out into oblivion. Don't give them any parachutes either.
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--
Best regards
Jalal Busri
+628121010507
+60136110821
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