Nik H.

Could have strapped you into the Lambo for a quick spin..... Anyway, I am Joblessly Wandering nowadays, we can easily meet before you go to the Arctic Circle. I have plenty of amusing stories.....

The basic ingredients are all there; competent technical crew, best cabin crew, and now the smartest Aviation Czar....the headcount issue can be easily solved using 'bulldozer strategy' and the overheads can be easily rationalised in time. Not easy, but not difficult. I don't know exactly how, which is why I chose early retirement, eat popcorn and watch from the ringside seat.

Fun at Raju. This friend/client joined me there this morning and we had a amusing time talking about the aviation merry-go-round thats making monkeys out of many of us......yes, its one sector where everyone and their Aunt are experts......

Yes Naim, makes good music too. And there's more to life than barking at the moon. Naim, roti canai breakfast at Raju's tomorrow starts at 0900. Uncensored Al Wafeer ver 1.1 dvd available.......hehehe.....can also see my latest violin.....

The Unions can picket all they like but what will happen will happen. The Company will prevail. The National Agenda for MH to succeed will override all concerns that the Unions stands for. If the employees are adversely affected, it will only be considered as collateral damage. The new MH CEO is a sharp person. And TF is even sharper. They have a good plan because all other plans are lousy. And TF dares to fail. I admire his panache. MH needs downsizing to operate as a small but insignificantly profitable premium airline that will carry the flag of Malaysia. AK will do the lower end but a much bigger slice of the market. In essence, MH needs to be Rolls Royce, selling 1000 cars making small profits. AK will sell Zillions of Toyotas making big profits. Both AJ and TF would have met their promises. A small MH turning small profits, and a huge AK turning huge profits. The demands of the travelling public will then be served. The country's agenda of having a profitable airline will be met.

Haj Operations operational processes was something the Team I led put in place so anyone can run it like clockwork. I am not selfish enough to leave behind something the Team has worked for so hard so I seem indispensible. This contract is the last one for MH after the Team won it in the last tender exercise. Next year will be another story altogether. 9M-MPD was one of three aircraft leased to Al Wafeer in a poorly planned venture that I was dead against, as I saw many major defects in the contract negotiations process. I have vehemently advised the Management not to go ahead. I have also outlined my prediction as to how the venture will fail, but was thoroughly ignored. All were done in writing, and addressed directly to Tg Azmil, the CEO of MH then. I did not even get an acknowedgement. I watched in morbid horror how MH cluelessly went ahead delivering the three aircraft to the newly formed Al Wafeer that at the time of negotiations has a business plan that is not workable, does not own any operating rights, and a financial plan that is not sustainable. MH not only gave the aircraft away, but also assisted in the procurement and training of Al Wafeer cockpit crew. MH operational experience were also given to Al Wafeer on a platter to assist in putting in place an operational and engineering plan. When it became apparent that the lease program was not going as planned, MH sat idly by watching our good money go down the drain. No one seem to be brave enough to pull the plug on that venture. 9M-MPD was 'repossesed' easily as it was in Malaysia for maintenance. The other two, which were reregistered as Saudi aircraft is still stuck on the ground in Jeddah, and attempts to bring the aircraft home has failed misrably. It was one of my saddest moment in MH watching this take place as those who pushed for the lease program moved on to other things, and walked around as if they have done a good job. 9M-MPQ was reconfigured following my efforts to make the Haj and Umrah more economically feasible. 9M-MPD was also reconfigured into similar seating arrangement so it was a happy accident for MH to use the aircraft for the Haj. The three b747s belongs to PMB, which is a Khazanah concern, which means theMalaysian taxpayer takes a direct hit in the nose for someone else's folly. I hope this will not be swept under the carpet. Those in charge must be made to pay heavily for their utter negligence. I'd lke to say more but I worry as we have a tendency to shoot the messenger. Cheers guys. Like Nero, I will play the violin while Rome burns. Except the violin are my superbikes, and Rome is MH.

Good enough for gullible Malaysians. But there must be more to it.

To the new MD, please look within MAS for the right people before looking outside. There are many of them who are not only smart,but also have the appropriate experience and track record to bring the company to a higher level. Resist putting square pegs in round holes just because the staff is a nice person and hence reward him with a promotion doing a job he/she cannot do. With a resume like yours, and given your obvious trait in not chasing titles, and ignoring status ( not even a Datukship when many carry the title for doing less ) I hope you will be able to see the pretenders from the real deal. I hope you will be able to see through those who have practised and elevated the bodek culture into an art form. Being the smart man you are, it is also my hope that you can put accountability in place, assign authority to the right people, and ensure there is also a personal to holder reward system for the outstanding few. Stop the culture of celebrating mediocrity so you can get the best help in ensuring success. Create an environment where everyone in MAS has an opportunity to be a Hero in their field. I may not be in MAS anymore as a staff, but I have an emotional attachment after 30 years of giving my best. I am also a stakeholder as in the past 6 months my new company has contributed RM6.5 million in revenue, chartering 'your' planes. I have a grand plan next year, and MAS is in it. Go for Gold, because that's what MAS means. p.s. just now I had Teh tarik with my biker friends at Showru, and i met some of my former colleagues. I heard the same sad story from them. They feel that the worst is yet to come. They tread carefully, heads hung low, resigned to the fact that they are not even remotely Masters of their own destiny, let alone the company.

There's MASEU, MESA, ATWUSabah, ATWUSarawak, MAPA, MASMA. I may miss out a few. Yesterday was the second month of me being jobless after I retired from MAS last June 15th. I visited my former office ( now better known as the Morgue ), then HR to sort out my outstanding tickets. After that I had a drink at the canteen and heard stories from many of the staff there. Almost all of the staff were walking with their heads down, the atmosphere is as if someone in the family died. When this share swap issue was announced, many were shocked, followed by disbelief, then anger, but now I see them in the acceptance phase. Which is good. Because defiance will, get them nowhere. To the staff and Union I say better toe the line because the Management already have a plan, and a back-up plan if they face a problem. Management will prevail. MAS is classified as 'essential services', any serious Union action will invite an unfriendly response from the Government. It will be unwise to strike as many will break ranks. Even if the staff suffers, it will only be considered as collateral damage in the light of the Grand Scheme that is alleged to be of vital importance to the Country. Accept whatever is dished out, and unless you are a Pilot or Engineer, it will be difficult to find alternative employment. I know this because most who left MH are not marketable at all. Unless you leave with some level of technical skills, which means alternative employment chances are bright, do not get involved in fighting a battle you cannot win. Play ball, adapt to the new conditions, this will lessen the pain. Its not a fair world for many of the Employees who have given all their lives to MAS. Outsiders like the last MD came in with a silver spoon in the mouth, stayed for 6 years, led for two years, looking like a little boy lost, lost buckets of money, and still got a job looking after the country's investments. Huddle together, and make the best of the situation so you can put a decent meal on the dinner table. Good Luck old friends. Don't let unfairness get you down, you will lose enthusiasm and drive, not good for you. Life is like that. Even the French have a term for it; ces't la vie. But the Chinese puts it better : Hai Kam Yong...... Right, now I'm off for a Teh Tarik session with my biker friends. Cheers.

MAS is into : a) Organising Concerts ( Buble, Babyface et al ) Repairing Other People's Planes, prioritising this business over own maintenance. c ) Aircraft Leasing - The Increadibly Dumb Al Wafeer deal comes to mind. d) Football. e) Airline Business as a part time income. a,b,c,e all lose money. Not smart enough to analyse this football deal. Recently the Great Tan Sri announced that the Lotus Team may change its name next year.......maybe MAS will be in F1 too..... I remember there was a time when the English Teams pay MAS good money to take them around Asia, not too long ago. But even after this segment was handed on a silver platter to MAS when I left, they managed to make a mess of it. The last football charter flights in July saw MAS sponsoring the Teams to the tune of RM 1 million but MH got nothing back. It was not even a Board decision. An EVP did it. It will be very interesting how many of the powerpoint pushers remains in MAS in the next few weeks. Apparently even Mr Bean refused the CEO offer. Clowns.....hehehe

Clowns. Real Clowns.

And the Video by RTM is here;

That would be around '94 - '97. Big story swept under the carpet there. It showed what Mas Management are made off. And also brought out the best and the worst in Pilot Character.

If there was then in my 30 years there I have never heard nor seen such a policy.

Many observers who were initially skeptics were aghast when they saw the money coming in over just a few days. Some of them are people who are actively involved in Charity work, and seeing so much money that we can spend, they have sound out to me that its better to provide the basic needs. I agree. And, Yes, its true. Basic needs ensures survival, but its events like this that motivates the soul, feed the dreams, and gives hope. Different people have different ways of doing charity. Some quietly, some with all the hurrah, some with sincerity, others with an agenda. We chose to do it our way, and so far, it has worked beyond our wildest dream.

Alan, you will be even more amazed when you work with certain individuals in MAS, wondering how they ever got to where they are. There are two types in MAS, the not so smart group, probably the honest type, where being out of depth because they were thrusted into such duties is OK, and hence failure must be rewarded, and the very smart ones, the ones able to powerpoint their way and manipulate themselves into positions of power for self interest regardless of Management change. They are always there. I will observe with great interest if the group of teflon coated SVPs of MH can con Tan Sri Tony and gang. Please investigate : a. Latest Security Boom Gate System which costs plenty of RMs but everyone knows is not necessary and will always break down. This project is unworkable but approved because of great powerpoint work. No one will be guilty here. Everything is well covered. - small money, just a couple of million. b. The Al Wafeer Scandal that I have warned about many many many times. - big money, perhaps in excess of RM100 million. My stories comes at the price of just a teh tarik. My Number 0192310005. I said investigate. I am not alleging wrongdoing. The above, just a teaser. I have more amusing stories. Damn you people, how dare you screw up my beloved airline.

Craig, the Airline business is borderless. They are more concerned about foreign anti-trust laws rather than Malaysia's. Not everyone is stupid.

Let me thank all who contributed, financially, in kind and through words of support. I knew when I retired this event would never happen again if left to the National Airline to do. It requires some thinking outside the box, creativity and networking, qualities that are quite difficult to find in MH. Besides, everyone was at that time having more important things to do, such as self-preservation with the impending changes sweeping the sick airline. Disappointed, I posted a small story about what needs to be done, with the aim of me personally underwriting about 2 buses and put the kids onto the Jumbo Jet that we hired from MAS. Incidentally, the flight was an achievement of sorts, being the first Umrah flight allowed into Madinah. Sadly, many do not understand this significant milestone in Malaysian Aviation. The post was made on the 1st of August, with not much hope of assistance and support. Within 2 hours of the post, the pledges amounted to RM3,000. 24 hours later, the fund pledges stood at RM13,000. Thrilled, I called for Teh Tarik and seriously shared on how I envisioned this event can be put in place. Duties were assigned to my biker friends, everyone falling all over themselves to lend a hand. Various names were bandied around,; Jumbo Dream Flight, Marvellous Monday, but we settled for "Kawan Awan" which sounds good in both BM and English. On Thursday night I called on a friend at LSG Skychef and he graciously presented 200 goodies bags which was promptly collected the next day. Since we were collecting money from close friends, acquaintances and strangers, we wanted to ensure we do this correctly as anything involving collection of money becomes a sensitive issue. We appointed SP Lee as the one in charge of collection and expenditure, Aras as the one to scrutinize the money received and Dato' Jet will be the one to sign off the accounts. All three only got to know each other through biking activities over the past 9 months. Planning based on contribution is always difficult, as we do not know how much we will get by the time we finalise the plans, so after another Teh Tarik session, I declared that we will commit on 6 homes, 200 children and guardians. 6 buses will be required along with 250 seats on the Jumbo Jet. The budget was set for 6 buses at both ends, 6 to ferry everyone to TGG, another 6 awaiting at KLIA to send the participants home. I got a good deal at Primula Hotel ( incindently the best in TGG bar the resorts ) arranged for sumptuous Buka and Sahur. We also budgeted for gifts, duit raya for the kids and cash gifts for the houses. The total bill came to about RM46,000. At that time the fund pledged was RM26,000. I announced that we will go ahead with the plan, and if there was a shortfall of funds, my company will plug that gap. By August 5th we had pledges amounting to RM36,480. Thankfully, within a few days, the funds increased, and till now the pledged amount stands at RM56,330. No a bad amount raised in just 6 days and through FB and word of mouth. However due to delays in cash transfer, there will be a gap between pledges and actual received amount. As of yesterday, the actual amount is rm37,231. Another 13k coming in from BMW, Club, companies and other individuals that's firm. So total actual is rm51,231. The gap between the pledge of RM56,330 and actual of RM51,231 is expected as there are always instances of pledges not made good, especially when the project is over. The Event was a great success, everything was on time, the only delay caused by the late arrival and departure of the aircraft. The kids did not mind as they had more time by the pool. That the kids enjoyed this unforgettable event is an understatement. Totally clueless just a week ago, they were in disbelief when they stepped on the beach. For some of them it was the first time seeing the sea, and to find themselves playing football by the beach is really dreamlike. This, my friends is the real One Malaysia. All the races involved, all the races together contributing, and the the races enjoying the fruits of our labor. The non-muslims joining the Muslims in breaking fast, and respecting the muslims during fasting period. Once again we thank all here who contributed, and also those who wished us well. Cheers, and till next year. Capt Nik.

No Flee. Tengku Azmil is a very nice man. He is also very diligent and honest. He has a pleasant demeanor and always polite. Probably ideal son-in-law material. He will not damage MH out of spite. Leaving him out there to fend for himself would not damage MH. He is also not predatory by nature. And, with the salary he has been drawing all these years, his family will not go hungry even if he elects to take an extended vacation. The poor man was thrusted to his job when the Government headhunted Idris Jala. He was not ready. He is great No.2 material, but command of an Airline puts him in an environment he cannot handle. His judgement in people is poor, his management style is very much paper driven and on the rare occasion he goes gung-ho it ends up poorly. His trust in some of his closest advisers is also another reason for his downfall. He is easy prey for the experienced MSpowerpoint light show clan, and his diligence with figures at times clouds judgement when it comes to taking risky decisions. Unlike Charismatic Idris Jala, communications is not Tengku's strong point, his salesmanship poor, and frequently avoid making quick decisions. I'm sure he knows he is not doing a good job while trying to do it. Letting him go is already an act of mercy. He is a big boy, bestowed with a few titles, one inherited. He can fend for himself.

Nice. Very Nice indeed. Screw your job at MH and be rewarded with ED in Khazanah. Mediocrity has its rewards.

Eddie Leong? You guys need to dig more. FY lives on MH. If it was on its own from start up do you think it will survive? Do you know how FY started? There was no battle that needs to be fought to put FY in the sky, everything was on a platter. In a word, be very careful what you ask for, you may not know what to do when you get it.

Very nice pix. Now onwards to retirement.....

And Azmil is parked as Executive Director in Khazanah after what has happened.....God.....Is there no maruah at all........???

The 9M-MPQ aircraft was supposed to be operated by Charter Dept, and I have devised a new way of operating the Jeddah Route. Under the smart boys of MH the route has consistently lost a lot of money, and the smart ones were resting easy with just 37 - 40 % of the market. I hawked the idea of Jeddah reengineering over three management changes, but they were too smart to understand. I told them that if they do it my 'pasar malam' simpleton way, we would cut losses the first year by a significant amount. After the first year, it will move into the black. Finally mid 2010 I got the aircraft modified and used it for the Haj. Inter-Departmental greed saw some power play and the program was hijacked by even smarter people. The program is now modified, and instead of operating to Jeddah the way i planned, the aircraft is now being operated as scheduled, and MAS will bleed while keeping someone's KPI intact. For this particular flight, and a few others, my new company Chartered the flight, which is why I can put orphans on board for the return flight. MAS Corporate Comms dept is totally clueless of the opportunity to swing a positive spin for the Airline. So its nice to be able to make some money, serve the Umrah Pilgrims well, do a bit of Charity to boot, while making children happy in the process. MAS Management is as clueles as ever.

Azmil should go soonest. His crony, the young one who had a meteoric rise from Manager to SVP after stealing other people's ideas should follow suit. A few more should follow suit. The decision makers on the Al Wafeer deal should also be hanged for losing rakyat money. For the MD, 48 hours is more than enough to pack. All of them should go to Hollywood where their acting skills will feed them well. But then after this what of MAS?