MAHB’s police report response to truth shocking, says Tony Fernandes

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 24 Dec 2018 5:00PM · 10 Comments

AirAsia CEO chief operating officer Tony Fernandes riles against Malaysian Airports Holding Bhd's 'culture of bullying and threatening', in a new row between airport and airline. – EPA pic, December 24, 2018.

AIRASIA chief operating officer Tony Fernandes is shocked that Malaysian Airports Holding Bhd has called the cops on his employee for telling some hard truths about the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).

MAHB, which manages the airport, recently filed a police report against AirAsia communications head Mohd Aziz Laikar Ali over a video he posted on Twitter showing the lack of hygiene at klia2. 

Aziz was today summoned by the police over the video, which showed a rubbish bin crawling with maggots at the airport, which is almost exclusively used by AirAsia.

Fernandes said MAHB remained stuck in the old ways in new Malaysia, where there is freedom of speech and choice, slamming the airport company for bullying.

“It isn’t the first time we’ve been reported for speaking the truth, they have always resorted to a culture of bullying and threatening and we do not condone to that,” he said on Facebook, today.

In the post, Aziz had questioned MAHB’s statement about its outstanding performance in airport management for October.

Fernandes said the police report showed MAHB was against transparency.

“It makes me wonder what else they are trying to hide? And anyone who has been a guest/staff at klia2 knows all the endless flaws of the facilities. We all sound like broken records but tell me it isn’t true.

“All these years, we have always had to deal with this and had our arms twisted when it comes to MAHB and, Mavcom.

“And now they want to punish us for stating the facts again,” he said.

He said MAHB could have responded to the complaint with a resolution but it  “chose to be defensive and offensive”. 

“We will not back down any more and the truth always prevails anyway.”

AirAsia chairman Kamarudin Meranun said  the airline had dealt for years with MAHB’s “thin-skinned” inability to take criticism.

“But maybe, just maybe, this time they have taken it to a new level,” he said in an internet posting. 

He had some advice for MAHB, quoting the former British prime minister Winston Churchill, who said: “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”

MAHB could have responded to Aziz with thanks for pointing out the problem and assurances that it would be more diligent in the future.

“But they couldn’t be magnanimous, could they? They had to be the Scrooge of the Christmas season.”

He urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mhamad as well as the transport, finance, and economic affairs ministers to intervene. – December 24, 2018.

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Comments

  • This episode has become political . By right PDRM should not be a lackey to the calling by MAHB. This has really tarnished the image and reputation with abuse of power by PDRM who of all institution should know better on the application of the rules of law. This debacles makes PH Government a paper tiger to who is the real power behind. Looks like the old regime and some saboteurs are still walking in the corridors of power with ease of intimidation and freely without hinderance.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • Agree.

      Posted 5 years ago by Anjing kawan Kucing Comel · Reply

  • What is the offence? Under which section is the police going to investigate exposure of the truth? This report should be NFA by the police. MAHB should sue Air Asia for defamation if it feels defamed. It is the police that has to stop giving face to this types of reports. This is not a police state. Minister of transport must step in and overhaul MAHB.

    Posted 5 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • Name & shame the entire Board of Directors of MAHB... then sack the whole useless lot of them!

    Posted 5 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

  • It will be interesting to find out what is the truth

    Posted 5 years ago by Hisham Mokhtar · Reply

  • If that exposure was done by a tourist, will MAHB lodge a police report against that tourist? I wonder.

    Posted 5 years ago by Derrick Tan · Reply

  • MAHB SHOULD BE REVAMPED..

    Posted 5 years ago by TTs Take · Reply

  • Get rid of MAHB. Why should there be a monopoly over airport operations? Did they buy land the airports are built on? Or they got them for free? This business model is so so outdated. Not unlike AP for the selected few.

    Posted 5 years ago by Thuan Chai Chan · Reply

  • Both are at fault. Both are giant parasites who trying to out do each other by holding poor passengers at their mercy.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tan Kenny · Reply

  • Both are at fault. Both are giant parasites who trying to out do each other by holding poor passengers at their mercy.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tan Kenny · Reply