ANN/THE STAR – Attributing the woes faced by the national airline as a result of non-transparent political decisions, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says efforts to restore Malaysia Airlines have already started.
The prime minister said such decisions, which had destroyed the once prestigious airline, have burdened the country.
“Don’t erase historic decisions with the intention to defend a few cronies while putting aside national interest.
“But rest assured that the government and Khazanah remain completely committed to ensure the success of the airline. It is our national airline and it has to come back to perform,” he said in his speech at the 30th Khazanah anniversary celebration.
Khazanah Nasional Berhad is the sole shareholder of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and Amal.
He said there have been weekly discussions during Cabinet meetings on efforts to restore Malaysia Airlines.
However, the prime minister cautioned that the process would take time.
Malaysia Airlines has been hit with a series of technical issues affecting hundreds of passengers.
It was recently reported that a surprise audit on Malaysia Airlines Bhd and the company responsible for maintaining its aircraft, MAB Engineering Services, uncovered problems ranging from lack of skilled workers for aircraft maintenance, all the way to a shortage of parts.
Arising from the findings of the audit that took place at the end of June, the regulator has shortened the airport operator certificate for Malaysia Airlines from three years to one.
The airline will have to provide monthly reports to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, with the reports detailing the implementation of mitigation measures outlined by Malaysia Airlines themselves.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail had said that a combination of factors, including weather, technical and manpower challenges, supply chain constraints, and the ongoing normalisation of global aviation operations post-pandemic, has contributed to the recent MAS operational difficulties.
