A plan to help the government in reviving the national carrier Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) and turn it into a profitable company has been submitted to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The proposal was submitted by a group of businessmen led by former AirAsia Group Bhd chairman Pahamin A Rajab.
The group had sought the approval from Dr Mahathir to conduct due diligence on MAB to find the right solution.
The government is believed to have several potential candidates to helm the MAB and steer the airlines back to profitability, with Pahamin rumoured to be one of the candidates.
Pahamin’s name has also been brought up in recent weeks, to take over the chairmanship of Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Aviation Group, after the position was left vacant when Tan Sri Mohammed Nor Md Yusof resigned on March 1.
Pahamin was the director-general of the road transport department at the ministry of transport from 1974 to 1998, and the secretary-general of ministry of domestic trade and consumer affairs from 1998 to 2001.
He was appointed as non-executive chairman of low-cost carrier AirAsia on Dec 14, 2001, and retired on June 3, 2008.
The news report comes just a day after veteran newsman Datuk A Kadir Jasin claimed that Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s board has rejected a bid to shut down Malaysia Airlines.
In a Facebook post, he pointed out that Khazanah has to date attempted four turnaround initiatives without success and at a cost of RM25 billion to the government.
“The government cannot keep pouring money into Malaysia Airlines,” Kadir said.
He also said the low-cost airline giant AirAsia Group Bhd has the capability to save MAB from “dying”.
Last month, Dr Mahathir said the government would consider selling the national carrier “if there is a good offer”.
Khazanah delisted the airline in 2014 as part of a revival bid but the move did not stem its chronic losses that remain until today.
Malaysia Airlines suffered a massive blow to its image after Flight MH370 disappeared five years ago with 239 people on board.
In July the same year, it lost another plane, MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine.
A survey released earlier this year in March by YouGov Plan & Track, an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK, revealed that the Malaysia Airlines brand is still seen in a positive light by locals amid debate over its potential sale or closure.