Ah, Tony Fernandes blogs!
Air Asia boss lets fly his CEO blog. One of Malaysia's favourite sons started to blog quietly a few days before Merdeka. Tony and I first met in a cigar divan, but neither of us smoking any, to talk about his dream of Air Asia. I had one foot in Business Times and the other in Malay Mail then, and I loved underdogs. He grew big in no time at all, a tribute to his entrepreneurial spirit.
Some weeks back, Tony asked me if I'd help set up his blog and Air Asia's blog. I took that as a great compliment. Regretfully, though, I told him I would have to decline. I did give him my two cents' worth here and there. And my moral support. I hope those helped.
Malaysia's blogosphere has come a long way, despite the various obstacles posed by the authorities. Tony's The Entrepreneur is a major landmark.
Now every CEO can blog.
Ala, marketing gimmick la.
ReplyDeleteAirAsia owes MAHB RM110 million, not RM60 million as claimed by Tony Fernandes
ReplyDeleteJuly 10, 2008 by weechookeong
Minister of Transport’s reply to the issue that I have brought up concerning the debts owed by AirAsia to MAHB and the upgrading project of LCCT, which was awarded to Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd totaling RM123.9 million.
DEPUTY MINISTER’S REPLY:
Deputy Minister of Transport has confirmed that the actual debt owed by AirAsia is RM110 million and not as stated by Datuk Tony Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia. He stressed that we should not bother about what has been said by Tony Fernandes. It was also not true that there were no actions taken by MAHB to recover the said debt. He said that MAHB did telephone and write letters to AirAsia asking for payment of the said debt of RM110 million. He reconfirmed that the total debt owed to MAHB is RM110 million.
When I said that recovery of debts via telephone calls and letters were not enough and asked why there were no legal actions taken by MAHB, as Government GLC, against AirAsia to recover the said debts. The Deputy Minister could not reply and he pushed the responsibility to the Minister of Finance as MAHB is under the control of GLC. I also told him that I have asked the Minister of Finance 2, YB Tan Sri Noor Yakob, yesterday regarding the discussion and YB Tan Sri Noor told me that debt between GLC and private company has nothing to do with the Ministry of Finance. The Deputy Minister did not respond about this.
From henceforth the Deputy Minister refused to take further clarification.
He went on to state that open tenders were carried out for the LCCT project costing RM123.9 million. Seven tenders were received and Fajabaru was the lowest. Eight tenders were received for the Penang Airport.
Note:
I wanted to ask for further clarification from the reply given by the said Deputy Minister as follows:
Why MAHB allowed AirAsia to owe the debt since 2002?
If AirAsia refused to pay the debt since 2002, why didn’t the Ministry advise or instruct MAHB to withdraw all services including the utilization of all facilities under the care and control of MAHB ?
To provide list of the names of contractors who had tendered for the LCCT job and the Penang Airport and their respective tendered sum for each of the project?
Fajarbaru is a company with its core business in “INVESTMENT HOLDING & PROVISION FOR FINANCIAL SERVICE”. Surely lowest tender price cannot be the main criteria for appointment to do the work - the experience and track records must also be of equal importance. Why MAHB and the Ministry did not take into consideration i.e. the experience and track records before the appointment of Fajarbaru?
NOW EVERYONE CAN LIE!!! tHE REAL UNDERDOGS ARE THOSE WHO MAKE IT WITHOUT ANY CABLES OR HANDOUTS LAH. THERE ARE NO UNDERDOGS IN MALAYSIAN HIGH STAKES BUSINESS.
And what sort of govt. I hear is banging down on bloggers? They must downright dumb,stupid or stubborn, whatever.
ReplyDeleteTony should now tells us the art of owing taxes to the government for 6 years with impunity and at the same time the Minister of Finance II had to negotiate with him to settle the debt of RM110 million owed 6 years ago since 2002.
ReplyDeleteFurther, the Minister of Finance had to enter into a confidential agreement on the settlement. What a fantastic joke of the century.
What a great entrepreneur whom Malaysians admire with envy.
Tony should be a tax consultant on how to owe taxes with impunity!
Ahmad
I am looking forward for the Parliamentary sitting commence on 13th October and I am sure that a lot of things will be asked about the settlement of the RM110 million debt, which was owed 6 years ago. Great stuff - settlement of debt had to be in secret. This is Bodohwi's administration way of Open Government!
ReplyDeleteI agree with psychobabbler that questions must be asked by MAHB did not lift a finger to take actions against Airasia over such a huge debt.
YES, NOW EVERYONE CAN LIE AND ONE OR TWO CAN GET AWAY AND PROTECTED!!
Kali-the airasia friend
I can't wait for the CEO of Astro to blog as well. Am sure he/she will get massive hits in no time.
ReplyDeleteaMiR
at KLIA MAS using aerobrigde n at Lcct Airasia using stairs ! so y the same charges for Airasia ??? MAHB wants to be the richest company in world??
ReplyDeleteAir Asia owes MAHB RM110 million. Air Asia also owes Petronas over RM70.0 million for jet fuel. They also owe MAS over RM60.0 million for aircraft maintenance work (MAS Engineering services some of Air Asia's planes). Adding up that is already RM240.0 million that Air Asia has not paid back yet.
ReplyDeleteAir Asia has ordered over 100 Airbuses that are now arriving at the rate of about two every month. Air Asia has neither the pilots, crew nor the routes to fly these planes. The planes are parked at Subang and Sepang.
Air Asia looked around for someone to buy the planes. Who else to buy the Airbsuses but good old MAS. So Air Asia tried cutting a deal with MAS whereby MAS SHOULD buy up some of these planes, yes even at a premium.
MAS totally resisted. Air Asia almost succeeded (some suggest with the help of Penerbangan Malaysia).
Then the March 8 elections came out and the Govt was in deep stuff. The deal was scuttled. MAS quickly signed up with Boeing.
Now Air Asia has too many empty Airbuses with nowhere to fly.
There is another question. The French (makers of Airbus and submarines) always get their hands dirtied. They paid commissions to the 'brokers' who arranged the Airbus deal. Who is the broker for Airbus in Malaysia? Well his name starts with 'K' and he is the son of a VVIP, albeit who is sleepy often.
How much is the commission worth? RM600 million at least. Of course these goodies are shared. Which airline in their right mind will order 100 Airbuses? NOT even Emirates.
Entrepreneurship? Anyone seen Pirates of the Carribean Part 2?
Bro, addendum. Why does Tony want us to log in at his site before we can post comments? Takut orang cakap bukan-bukan ke? Nanti cat out of the bag?
ReplyDeleteI do not know why so many people give negative comments about Airasia. It has given so many jobs to the jobless pilots who were refused jobs by MAS for so many many years....they have suffered enough trying to raise family without a proper job.... mainly because they are not malays or they are in between. Forever grateful to Airasia...thank you Tony
ReplyDelete(heha): NO NO fahamlah, kalau hutang banyak banyak sini sana, why still can give offer as low as 10sen ah !? why rugi business pun can one ah, funny lah !!
ReplyDeleteRocky,
ReplyDeleteI agree wt Anon, why the hell this guy wants our details... if he wants to enter the blogsphere than tak payah details, FREEDOM of EXPRESSION.... bukan Malaysian style but Amensty Intl type la
Anyways, i noticed welcome, welcome, welcome bla bla bla, planted 1000%.
I'm he was shocked at some comments and left strict instruction not to post em ke ke ke
check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9co9BS14Lds
Why MAS, Petronas and others dare not take action to recover debts from Airasia? It must be to Tony Fernandes entrepreneurship and all the awards he has received.
ReplyDeleteWith all the debts totaling over RM200 million, I can see Airasia is not getting where except getting Tan Sri Nor Yakcop to "negotiate" to settle less. I didn't know that Airport Tax and fuel cost can be owed and then are negotiable.
I am waiting for Tan Sri Nor or the Sleepy Head to announce a bail out of airasia by MAS. When this happened we must all fight against it.
NO BAIL OUT PLEASE!
EVERYONE CAN JUST LIE!
James
Why Tan Sri Nor Yakop (Minister of Finance II) was keeping very quiet over this issue?
ReplyDeleteIt is an opened secret that Tan Sri Nor and Tony Fernandez are good friends.
Tan Sri Nor should come up in the open to announce what is the settlement sum between airasia and MAHB.
Ministry of Finance is just a hopeless ministry, which airasia to flourish in debt!!
Malaysia Boleh!
ahmad
Low cost airlines throughout the world have collapsed. Recently Oasis in Hong Kong also collapsed. But airasia going on stronger! What a great airline Malaysia ever had under Bodohwi government.
ReplyDeleteAirasia survive by owing MAHB RM110 million according ton the Minister of Transport, MAS RM60 million and Petronas RM30 million.
Airasia has "settled" the MAHB debt through Tony but airasia didn't pay monies to MAHB. So what bullshit settlement was it?
Tony stop bullshitting. We have had enough of the bullshit.
Tony just pay up with money and not with your mouth.
Kali the airasia fan
last week our class held a similar discussion about this topic and you illustrate something we haven't covered yet, appreciate that.
ReplyDelete- Kris