Malaysia Airlines recently announced it would be ending its partnership with its current caterer and has initiated a continuity plan to provide alternative dining options while looking for a new food supplier.  

This is shameful to the country.

When its predecessor was delisted from Bursa Malaysia in 2015, it already put into question the competence of the board of directors and management team.

There was zero accountability for losses racked up prior to the delisting.

Malaysia Airlines can’t even get things right with its wishy-washy answers like “affected passengers will receive revised meal offerings and pre-packed meals – depending on the class of travel and flight duration and the routes affected by the change in meal offerings include domestic and selected international routes operated by Malaysia Airlines”.

Why can’t it just say which class and routes are affected instead of a general statement so that passengers can find out whether any meals will be provided before they check in?

The announcement that passengers may bring their own meals onboard – except self-heating and non-halal meals, which are strictly prohibited – is really dumb.

Does this mean crews are now tasked with checking meals? 

On its FAQ page, question 7 asks, “Why did Malaysia Airlines not proactively appoint a new in-flight caterer sooner?” 

The answer provided was “To ensure minimal inconvenience to your comfort and overall journey, we have initiated a robust business continuity plan effective from 1 September 2023 to provide alternative food and beverage options while actively exploring a new service provider that aligns with our unwavering commitment to delivering premium customer experiences. Please rest assured that our dedicated team is wholeheartedly focused on enhancing our offerings, and we genuinely appreciate your understanding and patience throughout this process.” 

This does not even answer the question!

In a New Straits Times report dated June 15, 2023, Malaysia Aviation Group managing director Captain Izham Ismail said Brahim’s, the caterer, provided poor service.

In a subsequent report dated June 17, 2023, a spokesman told the paper that Malaysia Airlines had been served with a notice of service discontinuation by Brahim’s Food Services Sdn Bhd and accordingly, all in-flight services provided by them to the airline would end on June 30, 2023.

In the same report, it was reported that Brahim’s and Malaysia Airlines had started their discussions in November 2022.

It appears that Malaysia Aviation Group has been dissatisfied with Brahim’s services for a long time.

Any competent board member would have put into place contingency measures in case the negotiations ended abruptly.

Instead, the continuity plan to provide alternative food and beverage options was only initiated 3 months after the contract with Brahim’s ended.

The airline may have won numerous awards for hospitality, but this one decision would leave its reputation in tatters.

Malaysia Airlines should change its tagline from “Malaysian Hospitality” to “the only full-fledged airline that allows its passenger to bring their own meals”.

If the board of directors and management of Khazanah Nasional and Malaysian Aviation Group do not take responsibility for this fiasco, maybe the prime minister, as chairman of Khazanah, should ask for their resignations. 

If the PM does not replace them, any promises by him to practice better governance in government-linked entities will not be taken seriously. – September 5, 2023. 

* FLK reads The Malaysian Insight.  

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.