Kamarudin Meranun berjiwa besar, says the man Air Asia is suing for RM5 million for defamation
Original piece
Apology, on behalf by Bujai
Tombstone Air juggling act by Big Dog
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| Kamarudin Bidas GLC, Utusan Malaysia, 8/11/2013 |
Kamarudin Meranun and the man who "gave" him Air Asia
The Din Meranun I know is a quintessential Malay gentleman. So I'm not surprised to read that he had written to my friends at Utusan Malaysia to apologize for the things said by a subordinate at Air Asia X sometime back.
Zam, ex Utusan boss I also believe that Din genuinely had not known about the lawsuit that Air Asia had filed against Zam for things the Tokoh Wartawan Negara had written on zamkata.blogspot.com in the aftermath of what that subordinate had said.
Now that Din is executive chairman of Air Asia in charge of ties with government aviation regulators and other airline authorites, we can expect the airline's PR to improve. The legal suit against Zam must be officially withdrawn.
Read also:Perhaps then everyone can be friends.
Apology, on behalf by Bujai
Tombstone Air juggling act by Big Dog
AirAsia has benefitted a lot from the Malaysian Government to the extent that MAS has become the sacrificial goat. AirAsia has grown to become an arrogant company, from its executive to its ticketing counter staff. They behave like robots, no human touch anymore. Well, for our ex-PM of course he get special treatment from AirAsia top boss. The aircraft smell like toilet. Although the aircraft are mostly brand new airbus aircraft, but upon embarkation or disembarkation, a 19th century technology of rusted steel steps are being used. The greedy company doesn't want to share business with MAHB. Just check MAS or Malindo website over the internet, one get a much more cheaper ticket than AirAsia, not to mention all the other hidden cost (food, check in fee, etc). Its time for the passengers using AirAsia should wake up and use a different airline.
ReplyDelete"Now that Din is executive chairman of Air Asia in charge of ties with government aviation regulators and other airline authorities, we can expect the airline's PR to improve."
ReplyDeleteYep, if he's smart and doesn't want the gomen to give him trouble, then the damage control is understandable. Though I think Fernandes' "cables" are proven beyond doubt so the regulators won't give them hassle, dubious anti-trust practices notwithstanding.
I admire "cojones" a lot more than "cables" so I still salute Azran to have the balls to say what he said.
And he was right, too. 100% right.
Can Din state Air Asia's stance on LGBT and Comango demands?
ReplyDeletelain orang buat kenyataan, lain pula yang minta maaf.
ReplyDeleteIni tidak adil.
MAS needs a major make over. Just visit Sinai Airport and study the quality of service provided and you will understand why I say this. There is still time. The seven years left on our 2020 target should spur MAS to wake up. You cannot wake up by kicking Air Asia.
ReplyDeleteI think you have mistakenly understood the roles of MAS and MAHB when comparing Sinai Airport and MAS.
DeleteAnon 1:48 pm
ReplyDeleteYou are clearly not a regular traveller. Go check MAS fares vs AirAsia fares to Singapore, KK, Kuching, Bali, Bangkok. The state of the LCCT is not due to AirAsia, it's due to MAHB.
You let MAHB build KLIA2 and see what happens ? Cost overrun after cost overrun until it cannot be called a budget terminal anymore.
I fly every month on AirAsia. It's not ideal but at around 50 pct of the cost of MAS, I am not complaining.
Hahaa AA cybertrooper alert
DeleteCompare apple to apple ma. How can you compare a sheduled airline to low fare airline. Get your facts right. Premium airlines has no hidden charge unlike low so called low fare ones.
DeleteWhy should Air Asia apologize to Utusan Malaysia
ReplyDeleteAfter all Azran has done nothing wrong
As a conscientious citizen,he was merely telling the truth
, Anon 12.28 am; DAP is stand for 'Dog and Pigs'.- I am just telling the truth.
ReplyDeleteWill DAP government assist Tony and Din? I don't think so. DAP will help Lim and Karpal. Nobody else. AA charge RM10 for counter check in. MAlindo charge nothing for use of airbridge at KLIA. If you book months in advance, MAS ticket price is much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteAA get rid of Fireflyz because it can be of major threat to AA. Just look at what happen to those fireflyz Boeing and staffs..gone with the wind.
Why AA can compete in Europe? Simply because there's no BN government to help them.
Wake up Azran. Stop licking Lim..
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) started demolishing the Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Hindu temple at Jalan P. Ramlee this morning, amidst claims that the government promised to stay its hand until it concludes discussions with interested parties.
ReplyDeleteA demolition squad from the local authority, accompanied by police, is understood to have turned up at the temple at around 7.30am to tear down the annexe of the temple, believed to be 101 years old.
Anon 10.23pm
ReplyDeleteIf anon 1.48pm isnot a regular flyer then so what??
Obviously he has had flown with AA before and malindo and mas!!
Growup and try to accept others different opinions coz u may not be necessarily right all the time!!
Azran need not apologize to anyone. Azran is a robotic spitting venom king cobra created by his mentor, the famous Mr Lim. Mr Lim has shoved into Azran throat the venom of "racist brand". His duty is to spit the venom to his own race. What a brilliant Mr Lim..
ReplyDeleteHahaha,
ReplyDeleteApparently, its a damage control. The damage has been done.
I can guarantee AA revenue is going down by day. Stiff competition from Malindo Air, MAS and string of Low Cost airline company.
AA can't afford to play arrogant and though guy in this kind of situation. AA success history is full with handout and special treatment from BN Government. Bitting the hands of those who feed them is not a good strategy.
What more with many PR disaster that plague AA recently such as failure of Tony F1 team, kes QPR turun liga, failure of Tony stupid TV show, hefty fines by MyCC (RM10 mill y'all!),hefty fines by many airport authorities, stupid remarks made by Aireen Omar on KLIA2 ( Yes! It is incredibly stupid! Because the delay was actually to accomodate request after request and after request made by AA), failure joint venture with JAL in Japan, a stiff competition in Indonesia market, owh yeah Azraai is a big fuck up too (i remember when BFM interviewed him about AirAsia and MAS shareswap, he adamantly claim that it is legal, it turn out a year later, his company got fined by MyCC RM10mill for such arrangement) and other shits that fuck the company as a whole.
Failure after failure after failure. They simply forget the success they get was actually because oligarchy and mopolistic upperhand that they get in their early years.
This fact is proven, since they fucked up most of their operation overseas. (of coz, no lending hand from the generous BN, they simply cannot compete)
AA is actually like "Bumiputera" with a lot tongkat, one you take the tongkats away, they simply cannot survive. At the same time, they condemn the tongkats that help them until today.
In short, AA is like Zaid Ibrahim. He is incompetence without DEB. Just look at his failure as DeFacto Law Minister, UMNO members, PKR members and KITA Founder.
and they are many people like Zaid Ibrahim in AA and other places.
BN govt is getting fed up with the likes of Azraai and Aireen Omar, and perhaps the majority sentiments of the Malays are getting fed up of these liberal drunkards... so no one give a shit or care about whatever demands they want.. and its happened for soo long.
And they started to realize the damage they inflicted against the Malay and the Government.. so, here comes the damage control.
Of coz they would not want Azraai or Aireen Omar to apologize. They would not fire them to, simply because that would display to the world their weakness.
So, they have the meekest of them all, the one that almost never speak to the public to apologize.
Hahaha PR stunt to control the damage done.
Mark my word, AA is suffering a lot of damage caused by Azraai, if not, why would Din Meranun take a long time to apologize?
Hurm?
Anon 1:48 pm
ReplyDeleteDon't be lazy or arrogant. Teruk sekali kalau bodoh sombong. Cuba compare harga MAS dengan harga AirAsia. I have made the following quick comparisons, using same dates and approximate departure times on both airlines:
Depart December 1, Return December 3
Singapore Air Asia RM 176 MAS RM 536
Bangkok Air Asia RM 585 MAS RM 657
Bali Air Asia RM 455 MAS RM 744
These are all-in fares, except for meals, so if you want a true comparison, add RM 30 to AirAsia for their online meals.
Now if you are using your own money, which would you choose ? If you are using your grandfather's money, then maybe you will choose MAS.
MAS is being kept alive by the civil service and the GLCs who have no concept of saving money or going for the cheapest deal.
That's why this country will go bankrupt.
Anon 1226
DeleteHow many tony f give you free ticket to counter the critics. Dont make yourself a fool in the public just because of tony f
What a stupid comparison. On which date?You pay RM10 for less than 1 minute counter check in at AA. AA pay RM6 to MAHB (if AA ever pay at all). Compare AA and MAlindo. AA cabin smell like shit.
ReplyDeleteTo be frank, AA need a cow-shed, not an airport. Because AA treat its passengers like stupid cow.
Jangan komen kalau tak erti baca.
DeleteAm reminded of this jaguh kampung who doesn't know internet or web check-ins and complain he is being charged RM 10 when his flight to Singapore on MH costs double compared to Air Asia.
DeleteAA cabin smells like shit..I agree. .frequent flyer pen - jb.no choice
DeleteGet your fact correct Mr Bean. AA gets waran kerajaan for government staff. Government staffs get special meal box. How much AA charge gomen? Mr Bean you should investigate quickly..otherwise the country will go bankrupt. Hahaha..
ReplyDeleteMeleis 12:11 pm
ReplyDeleteSo, are you admitting that "Bumiputera" have a "lot tongkat"(sic)?
It takes a brave man to acknowledge the obvious.
There are obviously a lot of vested interests that want Air Asia to fall and Tony Fernandes to be humiliated.
And who persist in thinking that MAS and Malaysia Airports are beyond reproach.
Such blissful ignorance is de rigeur in certain circles and amongst certain bloggers and politicians.
All of whom are suddenly instant experts on the aviation industry and the economics of airlines.
Let's see how MAS stacks up against SIA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and the other Gulf airlines.
Word on the street is that the much-ballyhooed Oneworld membership isn't doing MAS (or KLIA) a whole lot of good.
It takes more than "cables" or "the right whatever" to be able to run an airline (or an airport).
And there are rankings and statistics to prove it.
They think running an airline is the same as running a goreng pisang stall. Race and religion must come into the picture or it will not be complete.
DeleteAnother tony f ball licker
DeleteBumiputra do have a lot of bamboo tongkat. But Mr Lim good friends have a lot of good quality rattan tongkat. Anyone from Mr Lim friend that grows to become giants without tongkat handed over by the good BN gomen? Of course those Mr Lim friends doing car repair workshop, selling fish and vegeables don't need tongkat. But Mr Lim friends that carry Tan Sri, Datuk Sri, Datuk whatever titles, all get big huge tongkat from gomen.
ReplyDeleteMajority government staff in Govt Department going all out for many donkey years helping Mr Lim bussiness friends. Though project awarded to "Bumiputra", actually to "LimPutra"..the actual bumiputra get less than 5%.
NEP has enriched many Mr Lim friends. Majority of Mr Lim friends come to this country for that one purpose ..to prosper..Can't deny this..watch documentary called "South of the Oceans" in Astro..get a clearly picture than what written in Interlok.
Wah ramainya agen-agen DAP penjilat anu Lim kit sial memberi komen dalam blog ini. Modus operandi mereka "Malaysia akan bankrupt dibawah pemerintahan BN (UMNO=Melayu), Singapura-pura lebih baik dalam segala hal berbanding Malaysia, orang Melayu tak akan maju tanpa tingkat ".
ReplyDeleteIf you DAP cibais think Malaysia is not good and Singapork is a much better country, why don't you get out of our Malay land. After all we didn't invite your race here in the first place.
I admire "cojones" a lot more than "cables"
ReplyDeleteAnon 1.56pm
Right, that is not surprising cos you are a cocksucker plus probably an arselicker.
Meleis
Spot on mate, and dont let Riversong get to you. after all he is the same cocksuckler as anon 1.56pm, in different disguise of course. A sick pig will live and die a sick pig.
Me : next time i am gonna write using 'word on the street"and three lines later bring in rankings and statistics.......hahahahahahaha
Meleis,
ReplyDeleteAzran Osman-Rani is the Chief Executive Officer whom I think you have mis-named as "Azraai", even though the name was clearly written about a dozen times in the thread.
You nih liberal drunkard, ke?
It is fucktime now and the change to Din says it all. The share price has literally collapsed since July from a high of around 3.80. Fat pariah Boy is no longer cockahoop as he once was. In fact, he has gone strangely quiet ala Vijay Mallya.
ReplyDeleteAAsia Phillipines is on sick bay with death imminent and AirAsia India is a dead duck in water even before takeoff. AA Indonesia is already a pipsqueak locally there sliding a slow death into oblivion.As for AA Malaysia the less said the better. Word is that empty seats are now the accepted norm especially with Malindo's entry and with arrogant shitheads anti-Malay faux pas.In fact, more Malays are now flying Malindo or FF.
With only AA Thailand showing signs of life, 2014 will be a big year in more ways than one. That is when the chickens will come home to roost as full grown fowl and mister fatty pariah fuckhead and his fellow arsefuckers neck deep in debt, will approach the gov for bailouts. And Din's appointment is to be viewed in that wider soon to unfold scenario. Simply put, he will be the beggar with the bowl looking for alms for his non-Malay handler. His apology then for the Chingkpig cocksucker shithead's antics is nothing more than a shit-lapping, crow eating exercise in groveling. It is apparently being played out as a good wayang to soften hardened Malay hearts but then it would be in vain. You see the government simply doesn't have the kind of money AA seeks so it would be bungkus time come mid 2015 or thereabouts.
So 2014 is turning out to be a big year, a make or break year. Either yields improve or AA dies. I pray for the latter as it would be nice to see QPR and Caterham sink into the AA shit for good as well.
Kalau tak suka Air Asia , boleh naik bas brooooo, apahal nak complain , tak ada orang paksa .
ReplyDeletePemimpin DAP Zairil Khir Johari menggesa Utusan Malaysia supaya menyedari hakikat rakyat Malaysia tidak lagi membaca berita yang esktrem perkauman dan berat sebelah, susulan desakan supaya syarikat bukan kerajaan (GLC) mengiklan dalam akhbar berbahasa Melayu milik Umno tersebut.
ReplyDeleteSemalam, Timbalan Menteri Kewangan Datuk Ahmad Maslan memgakui pernah menulis surat kepada pemimpin tertinggi atau pengerusi GLC supaya membelanjakan peruntukan iklan mereka kepada akhbar itu.
"Perkara ini menunjukkan pengisian ataupun kandungan dalam Utusan Malaysia itu sendiri tidak menarik.
"Orang ramai tidak suka membaca berita fitnah dan berat sebelah," kata Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera itu kepada The Malaysian Insider.
Menyifatkan akhbar Utusan Malaysia sudah tidak lagi relevan kerana bermotifkan politik, Zairil bertegas corak penulisan dibawa akhbar tersebut tidak kena dengan peredaran zaman di mana rakyat mahukan berita yang lebih segar dan positif.
"Kandungan mereka terlalu bermotif politik dan ekstrem perkauman, rakyat tidak suka membaca perkara sebegini," katanya.
Dalam pada itu, beliau juga mempertikaikan kredibiliti dan kebertanggungjawaban akhbar tersebut yang seringkali kalah dalam kes-kes saman yang dikenakan kepada mereka sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
Akhbar Umno itu sering berhadapan kes-kes saman daripada para pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat. Antaranya adalah Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng; Ahli Parlimen Seputeh, Teresa Kok dan bekas Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin daripada PAS.
Pada Januari lalu, Anwar menang kes saman terhadap Utusan Malaysia selepas hakim Datuk V.T. Singham mendapati akhbar tersebut memfitnah Anwar dalam dua artikelnya.
Mahkamah mendapati artikel itu tidak mengamalkan asas kewartawanan bertanggungjawab dengan menerbitkan di muka hadapan akhbar itu tanpa mendapatkan kebenaran mengenainya.
Pada Februari lalu, Mahkamah Rayuan menyokong keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi bagi mengarahkan Utusan membayar RM200,000 dalam satu artikel memfitnah setiausaha agung DAP.
Kolumnis Utusan Malaysia Datuk Chamil Wariya dan Utusan Malaysia juga pernah membuat permohonan maaf secara terbuka kepada Kok berhubung satu saman fitnah yang dikemukakan.
Mohamad Nizar juga berjaya dalam proses samannya RM250,000 kepada Utusan Malaysia berhubung isu pendaftaran kenderaan WWW 1 yang dibeli oleh Sultan Johor.
Menurut Zairil, ia adalah satu perkara tidak bertanggungjawab apabila menyalahkan pengiklan semata-mata kerana mereka tidak membuat iklan dengan Utusan Malaysia, sebaliknya para pengiklan juga perlu menimbangkan beberapa perkara terutamanya persepsi pengguna dan kesan kepada produk mereka sekiranya iklan dikeluarkan oleh akhbar yang sentiasa memainkan isu sensitif.
"Pengiklan juga tidak mahu dikaitkan dengan Utusan kerana berita-berita yang mereka keluarkan," katanya.
Dalam pada itu, Zairil juga mempersoalkan kewajaran para pemimpin Umno yang membuat gesaan sedemikian kerana menurutnya adalah satu bentuk salahguna kuasa oleh parti politik yang seolah-olah memaksa GLC membuat iklan dengan akhbar tersebut.
"Daripada sudut lain, saya lihat ini satu bentuk salahguna kuasa.
"Mengapakah hanya akhbar milik Umno dan parti politik tertentu sahaja dibantu... bukankah ini tidak adil, bagaimanapun pula dengan akhbar yang lain?" soal Zairil.
Zairil merupakan anak kepada bekas pemimpin kanan Umno Tan Sri Khir Johari.
Utusan Malaysia merupakan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Melayu terbitan Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad.
Menurut laporan Audit Bureau of Circulations pada 2004 jualan harian akhbar Utusan Malaysia adalah sebanyak 256,247 naskhah tetapi pada 2009 jualan harian akhbar itu menjunam ke 169,548 naskhah sehari.
Zairil tu anak cina bro..get your fact correct..anak cina tulin. Mak bapak dia cina bro..mana dia faham baca Utusan. Melayu konon..mana Dogs and Pigs mau Melayu jadi Setia Usaha Mr Lim???..Dyana UiTM tu saja dok jilat Lim tua di gelang patah tu..tak boleh jilat..Dyna tu kena sedut sedut kasi ada..
ReplyDeleteHoi melayu bangang..kau pergi baca nang yang siang pau la..kalau kau melayu la..bila ada melayu bangang macam kau la..melayu di malaysia ni terjual tergadai..
ReplyDeleteA lot of anger against AirAsia simply because of Badawi's involvement and also Kalimullah's involvement at the early stage. AirAsia has allowed Malaysians to commute to Singapore, East Malaysia and Indonesia for a fraction of the fares of MAS. It has opened new destinations like Manado, Tiruchapalli, Nanning, that MAS would never have contemplated.
ReplyDeleteWhy bother to support the inefficient MAS which continues to suck up taxpayers' money and government guarantees ? Just because you didn't like Badawi, KJ and Kalimullah ? Grow up lah.
Anon 7:47 pm.
ReplyDeleteThis is what we call "bodoh sombong". These are the type of people who will reject a monthly package from Maxis fibre optics at 10MB for RM 148 when he is currently getting 5MB for RM 148 from UNIFI. Reason being that Maxis is owned by Ananda Krishnan. Or Maxis doesn't hire enough bumiputras compared to Telekom.
Stupidity is not a crime. Wasting money is also not a crime if the money belongs to your grandfather.
Unifi RM148 with TV + Intenet, Maxis only for Intenet bro.
DeleteRiverSong,
ReplyDeleteDa fuck you talk about?
Yes. "Bumiputera" got a lot of tongkat. Do you ever see any "Bumiputera" deny this? No!
What a dumbfuck!
I never once mention MAS in my previous comment nor i ever endorse MAS business practice.
Only on the Shareswap thingy. Of which MyCC fined both airlines with a whooping RM10 millions. Both MAS and AA deserved it for trying to monopolised the industry.
I merely stated facts in previous comments and i would like to reiterate them:
That AA is fuck up company, who cannot compete on a level playing field.
They depended on BN Government policy to succeed.
What makes most people pukes blood are their arrogant towards the government and their POYO top management attitude who talks queen English and trashing the very policy that helps them to succeed.
Their only ability is they able to talk good english. Period. That's the only thing they got..other than that, they can go suck Lim Kit Siang wrinkly balls and kiss anwar's ass.
They cannot compete on a level playing field. E.g look at their new strategy of winning the heart of Government;
They moved Kamaruddin Meranun as someone to maneuvre relationship with the government. Owh.. because this Din Meranun fellas is a Malay and got a very Kampung face, you think the government will kow tow to AA, and give AA more goodies?
No fucktard! Najib's government is not that bad (well PEMANDU is, since it contained the same kind of people)... they can smell such stinky shit strategy from miles. This is not 90's. This is the era of millenium, government people are getting smarter even though they can hardly speak English.
So.. is that the only thing they can do, to fix the damage inflicted against BN government? Putting a Malay as proxy?
Well you and AA can go jump into a loji taik.
Perhaps, anti-malay, anti-islam and liberal people like you are happy with them coz the company is filled with liberals and drunkard like you.
And yes.. i do hope Najib will not fall for such a weak strategy. Just ignore this kind of people. It will do you no good. They will still vote you out in next GE. Now, is the time to take stern action.
Ciao.
Meleis:
ReplyDeleteYour name should be spelt as "malaise" as it is more appropriate. Why make this into a racial issue ? Who is anti-Malay ? Who is anti-Islam ?
You say AA is a fuck-up company dependent on BN government policy to succeed. Who doesn't ? YTL, Ananda, Syed Mokhtar all depend on government policy to succeed. Fucked-up companies are the GLCs that have zero accountability and collectively cost the taxpayers billions each year. A really fucked-up company is MAS which continues to bleed and bleed and depends on government guarantees for its debt.
You want to be a bigot, go ahead and rant. Unfortunately the rest of us laugh because your rants are exactly those applicable to GLCs.
Lucky for you it is not a criminal offence to be stupid.
Godfather
Bumiputra get tongkat. Non-bumiputra buy over the tongkat and changed it to golden tongkat. Bumi businessman at the start of NEP grown from lizard size to monitor lizard size. Non bumi businesses capitalize on whatever initiatives for bumi..has grown from monitor lizard to nile african crocodile size.. dogs and pigs should know better..
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to principles versus business, Asia’s biggest budget carrier AirAsia needed no second thought – never mind that it meant bowing to Umno.
ReplyDeleteThis inevitable conclusion comes about after AirAsia’s newly-minted executive chairman Kamarudin Meranun apologised to Utusan Malaysia for the remarks made by his colleague months earlier, the long-haul, lost-cost carrier AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani.
Kamarudin is one of the 50 richest Malaysians, with Forbes reporting his net worth at a staggering RM635mil as of February 2013 – all thanks to his airlines business.
Azran had criticised Utusan on Twitter for what he reportedly saw as a racial instigation in the aftermath of the May 5 general elections.
He was also reported to have criticised Malay group Perkasa for its hardline approach, deeming it as an irrelevent organisation that had caused Malays to be myopic.
The Umno-owned Malay daily quoted Kamarudin as saying that he had written to apologise for Azran’s comments.
“In all honesty, as a representative of AirAsia, I had written to the Utusan group editor to express our disappointment over Azran’s actions which were unexpected,” Kamarudin was quoted as saying in the Utusan report.
Indeed regrettable that AirAsia like Utusan and Perkasa, wasted no time in turning myopic. Azran only wrote the truth – that Utusan is aggressively destroying the very premise that promised Malaysia’s survival – her unity in diversity.
Unable to swallow the bitter truth coming from Azran’s words, Utusan reacted by saying that it would not accept advertisements from AirAsia unless Azran apologised for his remarks.
In its Mingguan Malaysia weekend edition dated May 19, columnist Awang Selamat, the nom-de-plume for the newspaper’s collective editorial voice, said AirAsia should be thankful that the Malay paper had never been negative or criticised the budget airline in any of its articles.
“Awang would like to suggest that the Utusan Group is not accepting any AirAsia ad as long as there is no apology. Let the company’s advertisement go to another paper.
“Without AirAsia, Awang Selamat will not have any problem. Further, the value of the advertisment given is very small, lower than advertisements for herbal and hair treatments,” it said.
The columnist also compared Asia’s biggest budget flier to Malaysia Airlines (MAS), and described the national carrier as having better service and a strong nationalist spirit.
“To those who serve, we are polite, especially the Malaysian airline whose service is better and thick with nationalism,” it
AirAsia succumbing to political pressure?
ReplyDeleteThe newspaper had also published daily views from Perkasa leaders, the Muslim Consumers Society of Malaysia and pro-Umno activists who condemned Azran, branding him “arrogant” and a Malay who had forgotten his roots.
Perkasa’s acting president Abdul Rahman Bakar who had rallied to Utusan’s defence blasted Azran, saying that the latter could not have made his way up the corporate ladder without the “Malay power fought for by Utusan Malaysia.”
“Has Azran never thought that the licence issued by the government to AirAsia is because the airline is first owned by Malays?” Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying in one such report.
Others who joined in the villfying of Azran included Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Jalil who said Azran’s act was akin to “waging war” against his own people.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi labelled Azran as anti-Malay while Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin called Azran ”melayu biadap” (rude Malay) and said he should leave the country for criticising the newspaper.
And when CIMB Group chief executive officer Nazir Razak came to Azran’s defence, praising the latter for his forthright attitude and describing it as a “mark of a leader,” Nazir was deemed anti-Malay by Utusan Malaysia.
Clearly, AirAsia is no match for the arm-twisting Umno and Malay zealots and apologising seemed the only way out to ensure the former’s survival.
While Azran stands firm on his take that the Umno-owned daily was racist in its election coverage in May, AirAsia X chairperson Rafidah Aziz believed that Azran’s views were made in his personal capacity, and that Malaysians should be allowed to express their views.
Truth as the people of Malaysia know is that Utusan Malaysia is a hardcore racist in its take on racial issues affecting the nation with the newspaper making no apologies about that.
Utusan’s racist notoriety knows no bounds. When the May 2013 general election reflected the plunge in Chinese community support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, Utusan penned a racially-damaging editorial headlined, “Apa lagi Cina mahu?” (What more do the Chinese want?), condemning the Chinese for their strong support for the opposition.
Incidentally, Rafidah was also offended by the editorial direction taken by Utusan for its vehement criticism of the Chinese community, as shown through its bigotted heading, ‘What more do the Chinese want?, implying that this community was ungrateful for all that the BN government has done for them.
Call it a dilemma or simply fear of repercussions from disobeying Umno, AirAsia was not one to take risks, hence the better-late-than-never apology from Kamaruddin.
As for the praises lavished by prime minister Najib Razak on the newspaper, crediting it with bringing the Malay agenda front and centre and never straying from its founding principles of upholding Malay nationalism, it was nothing but a desperate attempt at rekindling the newspaper’s good fortunes.
“Utusan has remained strong and has never backed down in defending our race. It has played a role in opening up the minds of the rakyat to current information, be it in politics, crime, entertainment, and many other areas.
“Utusan hones and challenges the minds of its readers,” was what Najib said at the official opening of its new headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in September.
‘Kosher’ Utusan
ReplyDeletePutting it bluntly, Utusan has been declared ‘kosher’ by Najib that is, it has the country’s best interest at heart, leaving companies like AirAsia with little except to toe the line.
Then again, did Kamarudin and his partner Tony Fernandes, both who own Tune Air Sdn Bhd, a major shareholder in AirAsia, take Najib’s words concerning the 75-year-old racially-motivated newspaper as the truth and decided apology was the way to go?
Or, was AirAsia having sleepless nights contemplating its fate when Utusan refused to welcome advertisements from the airline company and cower under political pressure?
Whatever its reasons, apologising to Utusan has only worsened matters – AirAsia’s eating the humble pie has given the newspaper the false assurance that despite its tumbling fortunes, Utusan is still a force to be reckoned with.
Utusan’s fortunes today are a far cry from its heydays when it used to register a healthy average of 350,000 copies in daily circulation before the internet led to a boom in online news companies.
Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations showed that the right-wing newspaper averaged a little over 181,000 copies daily over the first half of 2012, a slight improvement to its 2011 average of 173,000 daily copies.
Still, the newspaper remains stubborn and refuses to mend its way and continues to provoke and instigate the nation’s non-Malay communities through its fiery and uncalled for racial commentaries and articles.
For instance, when the Court of Appeal on Oct 14 judged in favour of the BN government and barred the Catholic church’s publication, the Herald, from using the word “Allah” in its publication, Utusan rejoiced and said the court verdict was a gift to the Muslims as they celebrated Aidiladha the following day.
Awang Selamat, the pseudonym for Utusan’s collective editorial team, said the decision also recognised the efforts made by those who defended the purity of the name, “Allah.”
“This case must be an example to others not to jeopardise the supremacy of Islam as any of such attempts would affect the harmonious relationship between other races and religions in the country,” Awang wrote.
With AirAsia bowing to Utusan and Umno, there is no stopping the duo from bullying their way out of reprehensible acts.
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer
The real issue is the word "racist" which happily uttered by the Dogs and Pigs. The idea is to make the malays speechless and kow-tow to the Dogs and Pigs. AA is the casualty of war, after all their ball sucking general Azran is also another Dogs and Pigs ball sucker.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the only country on earth where some of the indigenous malays happily become ball sucker for the immigrant Dogs and Pigs. If the malays are racist and employ apartheid style rules, how come the malays are not filthy rich and control the economy? How come all immigrant Dogs and Pigs and not living in shanty towns?
The word "racist" simply propagated by the Dogs and Pigs to turn the poor malays into zombies, so they can control the ruling power. Greedy Dogs and Pigs.
Anon 8:40 am
ReplyDeleteUnderstand the Pareto Principle. 20 pct of Malays control 80 pct of the bumiputra wealth. Daim not rich ? Syed Mokhtar not rich ? Tajuddin Ramli not rich ? Shahrizat not rich ? Nor Yakcop not rich ? Jamaluddin Jarjis not rich ? Najib and Rosmah not rich ? The Malays generally are not racist. Only UMNO is racist so that they can continue to pull the wool over the eyes of the rest of the Malays and to perpetuate their "right" to steal in broad daylight.
Dogs and pigs are the Malays' best friends.
"The real issue is the word "racist" which happily uttered by the Dogs and Pigs. The idea is to make the malays speechless and kow-tow to the Dogs and Pigs. AA is the casualty of war, after all their ball sucking general Azran is also another Dogs and Pigs ball sucker."
ReplyDeleteNope, the idea is to make the Malays feel threatened so that the umno money suckers can continue to suck up the money.
That's the plan.
Truth hurts, huh?
Well, "Awang Selamat" is as dumb as they come...
ReplyDeleteWhat "he" knows about the airline industry is sweet *******!
And yet "he" has the chutzpah (a decidedly Zionist term) to claim that MAS has a strong nationalist spirit.
Bollocks! If MAS was such a paragon of the airline industry, there wouldn't have been a need to privatise it to Tajudin Ramli.
Or is that whole episode a figment of the Oppo's imagination? That it never happened?
Or, maybe, "Awang S" has selective myopia, which is common among certain movers and shakers in Malaysia.
Take away the government "tongkat". Let's see if MAS can stand it's own feet.