En Mohammed Rashdan Yusof aka Danny (Rashdan) (sounded very English – must be of English upbringing with great principles), the newly crowned Executive Director of MAS has done tremendous things to MAS. But I am not too sure whether he was doing what he did so far for MAS or AirAsia / AirAsia X Sdn Bhd. I am still trying to figure it out. I am sure that you are also trying to figure it out too. Rashdan, I know you are trying very very hard to BINA MAS but you ada Fikirkah?
Yesterday En Mohammed Rashdan Yusof aka Danny (Rashdan), the newly appointed Executive Director of MAS after the the MAS-AirAsis share swap deal that was shrouded with secrecy, flew to London to sign RM18 million jersey sponsorship agreement with Queens Park Rangers (QPR) from yesterday for 2 years, in HERE. This didn’t come as a surprise. Well, 6 days after signing the said secret share swap, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes was reported to have bought 51% of QPR, in HERE. On the same day, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (Tony) of AirAsia Bhd and Mr Briatore, the former QPR’s chairman, watched QPR being trounced at home by Bolton Wanderer with a score line of 4-0 at home. Perhaps this was a clear warning to the YAB Datuk Seri Najib’s Government: “Beware of good samaritan like Tony!”.
PETALING JAYA: Three unions in MALAYSIAN AIRLINE SYSTEM BHD (MAS) representing about 15,000 employees will hold a picket over the national carrier’s share swap exercise with AirAsia.
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes wanted LCCT for AirAsia. The Tun Abdullah’s Administration built for him costing the nation more than RM200 million. AirAsia was also allowed to owe huge airport tax debts for years under the same Administration. He wanted Rural Air Services (RAS) the same Administration gave him with a reward of about RM65 million subsidy. In less than a year he dumped the RAS to MAS with seven un-airworthy aircrafts plus a bill of RM35 million to MAS. Khazanah Nasional Bhd pretended not to know about it. MAS had to absorb the RM35 million. A year or so ago he wanted to build his own airport in Labu. Sime Darby was very keen under the leadership of Datuk Zubir. Luckily the Government under Datuk Seri Najib said “NO” to him. He wanted the new KLIA-2 without aerobridges, MAHB said “YES SIR”, in HERE.
Because of the one sided reporting, Malaysians thought AirAsia/AirAsia X Sdn Bhd/Tan Sri Tony Fernandes were coming into MAS to SAVE MAS. I am proud to receive the comments below from MAS Union. Unfortunately, The Star, which has been publishing rosy stories about AirAsia/AirAsia X Sdn Bhd and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, did not bother to attend the MAS Union press conference on 27th August, 2011. So Malaysians like you and I were deprived of the views of MAS Union. So forgive us for being led by the nose to believe that without Khazanah Naisonal Bhd signing the “TOP SECRET MAS – AIRASIA SHARE SWAP” on 8th August, in HERE. MAS would have collapsed. The Khazanah Naional Bhd top management, the former BINAFIKIR SDN BHD boys would like Malaysians to believe that the said share swap would have affected our national security so had to be negotiated in “darkness”!. Khazanah Nasional Bhd handpicked , the WAU, in HERE, HERE, specialist, En Mohammed Rashdan Yusof (aka Danny), in HERE, to head MAS now.
AirAsia’s 2nd quarters net profit was down by 47% to RM104.26 million against RM198.93 million deferred tax charge. MAS posted a net loss of RM526.8 million. MAS called off its media briefing at the eleventh hour yesterday due to “unforseen circumstances” but continued with its analyst briefing. Tan Sri Tony Fernandes told analyst in a conference yesterday that the airlineswill be presenting their case to the Prime Minister in his bid to reverse airport operator MAHB’s to increase passenger service charge, aircraft landing and parking charges. As usual the press report on AirAsia was very rosy and will be flying to another majestic height and the future of MAS, of course, was very very bleak. Read HERE.
In the Inquire Business report 0n 7-8-2011 quoted Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and his partner to have said in a joint statement that
“As the major shareholders of AirAsia Bhd and AirAsia X Sdn Bhd (which operates long-haul budget flights), we are committed to increasing shareholder value in both our core investments by continuously exploring various opportunities to enhance our franchise,” in HERE. The emphasis is mine. From this joint statement it was crystal clear that Khazanah Nasional Bhd, as the majority shareholder of MAS appeared to be very desperate to buy a franchise for these “special” brand names AirAsia and AirAsia X from Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and his business partners. With the pace and the way in which this so-called share swap was concluded with such utmost secrecy gave the impression to all Malaysians that Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, Mohammed Rashdan Yusof and especially YB Tan Sri Nor Yacob, the Minister of Finance II under PM Abdullah Badawi were TOTALLY unaware of the Malaysian business partners of Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ lucrative aviation business.
I read with great admiration the report card of BinaFikir Sdn Bhd with regards to the “Widespread Asset Bundling” (a.k.a. as “WAU”) restructuring of MAS. Incidentally, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and Mohammed Rashdan Yusof were co-founders of BinaFikir Sdn Bhd. During the WAU exercise, Tan Sri Mokhtar was the Managing Director and Mohamamed Rashdan Yusof was the chairman of BinaFikir Sdn Bhd.