Najib: Wrong move to sell MAS

Former premier Najib Abdul Razak has shot down a reported suggestion for the government to sell or shut down the loss-making national flag carrier Malaysia Airlines.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Najib said the airline has been the country's pride that should be retained.

"Absolutely not. That's the wrong move. MAS must continue as our national airlines.

"You cannot replace our national pride with something else.  

"Almost every country has a national airline," said Najib when questioned on the rationale to retain MAS with the existence of several other local airlines.

He also pointed out that the government should instead go back to a turnaround plan which was put in place during his time as former Khazanah Nasional Bhd chairperson.

Among others, Najib said the plan involved MAS embarking on a major voluntary separation scheme (VSS) exercise, as well as cutting down on its unprofitable routes.

Malaysia Airlines was taken private by Khazanah in 2014 as part of its turnaround programme with injected initial investments of RM6 billion.

Since then, Najib insisted that the turnaround plan has been working, and needed more time to be successful.

"It needed a bit more time. Therefore, there is no reason for MAS to be sold off or even closed down. That will be a wrong move and definitely the rakyat will not support," he said.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad earlier today said the government is open to studying various options on the future of the loss-making airline.

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament, Mahathir said the government must urgently consider the various available options, including shutting down the national flag carrier. 

This came after reported concerns from aviation analysts that the carrier’s failure to meet its three-year target on profitability has made its operations unsustainable. - Mkini