KUALA LUMPUR: The government is prepared to consider strategic cooperation with other carriers to rescue Malaysia Airlines, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
With reference to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines, Mahathir said the national carrier could learn from the Japanese experience and recover from its present crisis.
The MoU, signed in May, was part of an effort to improve passenger services. It will also see both airlines share best practices and cargo services as well as cooperate in tourism efforts.
“The collaboration will start in 2020. Japan Airlines has faced similar problems before but it has recovered,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to a question from Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (PH-Jeli) who wanted to know how the government plans to improve Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s performance.
Mustapa noted that despite successes in enhancing services and raising customer satisfaction, the national carrier was still incurring losses.
Mahathir reiterated the government’s desire for the airline to retain its Malaysian identity.
“The name of the company must be related to our country, Malaysia,” he said.
He also stressed that any effort to save the airline would not entail job losses for its employees.
“Whether we sell Malaysia Airlines or have a collaboration with another company, we will include a provision that it will not get rid of its current employees,” he said.
At the Parliament lobby later, Mahathir told reporters that the government must have some say in the carrier’s fate.
“We may not have a majority share, but we have to preserve some role as the government or a shareholder, to maintain its identity as the national carrier,” he added.
On Monday, Mahathir said the government had received four takeover offers for Malaysia Airlines, the majority of which are from locals.
However, he said no decision has been made as the government is still studying the offers.
