Arthur Van Straten

Lets be practical here and call a spade a spade. If Khazanah can not come up with a seasoned name of an industry expert, and why not a malay, there is enough talent in MAS, and give you only an umno croney, brace yourself. I pity the Malaysian Taxpayers if that will be the case. You dont need expat talent, you have enough talent in your MAS pool. Use it for once and MAS will prosper. And please dont let Khazanah appoint people, with all there best credentials, when they are not aviation diehards. It has not worked in the past and it will not work in the future. My advise, Search in the MAS pool for managemnt talent. give him or her the job. Appoint an interim manager for six months to support and guide that talent. Or,my advise to Khazanah, are you going to tell me that MAS has no talent in its ranks?? Please dont fool yourself and us. If you still think so, close shop and start again. but shame on you. This will be my last contribution to Malaysianwings. I am leaving the country next week. I say goodbye to my friends, especially flee an BCT and i hope that you continue to spread the word. It was a pleasure to communicate with all of you. If i have stepped on some toes, my apologies. It was for clarification only. Long live MWings. Keep up the good work. And tell it as it is. Cheers A, On second retirement.

@BCT. We miss Robin Williams already but you could fill the gap, as a stand up commedian. I love your snipes. Keep it up. Cheers A,

It does not matter if I.J. is Malayu or not. The unions have made it cristal clear, they want seasoned aviation proffessiinals running MAS this time. Neither I.J. or Jamaludin, fits that profile. Lets see who has the upper hand, Khazanah or the Unions. There are seveal ways to skin a cat.. Lets see if Khazanah has what it takes. Without fear or favor. Cheers A.

Your sense of humor is appreciated BCT. Do you also wonder why people keep throwing money into the pit? Cheers A,

Crash investigation update here. http://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/onderzoek/2049/investigation-crash-mh17-17-july-2014/onderzoek/1555/investigation-into-cause-of-mh17-plane-crash-continues-in-the-hague-the-netherlands#fasen Cheers A.

Wow, what we have here is no longer a storm in a cup of water. First Dr. M. saying why khazanah would be successful when they go from 70 percent to hundred percent ownership. Dr, M. is not popular anymore in certain quarters and yes, his time has passed, but, he has a point here. Not to forget though that during his time substantial mismanagement affairs have occurred. But stating that Khazanah ‘s efforts are nonsensical when you have allowed multibillion losses in the past and with full ownership this should not happen again is indeed wishful thinking at best. Factual ignorance at worst, and there i concur. Then there is the chairman giving a pep talk, which did not go down very well. Should that board not better resign in complete? They were there when things went wrong. And then hiding behind, quote, We were told that there was no effort for a wholesome restructuring, perhaps because it had lacked the political will then, or there were too many obstacles, or those in charge had feared undertaking an in-depth restructuring for fear of unravelling things that were not meant to be revealed. So, the airline has suffered to this date,” said an official. Unquote. So, in conclusion, it was nobody’s fault, the ringgit went down, the oil price went up, the middle East competition was severe, and , by no fault and having two disasters in a short time we are in dire straits right now. If that is the attitude of the rebooters and the restructurers than unfortunately Dr. M. will be right this time. And the misconception that an airline can only prosper without unions can be transferred to the ignorant dream department. Look around in the world and see airlines who prosper wilst having a well-functioning union. I have stated above, a few postings earlier, that by trying to confuse an entire nation into a false sense of constructive realism will fail miserably. Confucius says. Maybe i should call it a day as well. Cheers Art

Yes, read about Saphire, and MRO and Airod, and present CEO stays on for a few more years and yes, also read this maybe not true as headhunters already sourcing new CEO. But all only after agreement with shareholders. I tried to find sayings of Confucius on confusion. Could not find any. Maybe more learned friends on this board can. The Masterplan will be out end of this month, as i have read. But if the Masterplan is as confuse as what i have read today, then we need a Confusius translater asap. Cheers Confused Art.

@ flee. Yes, read it. And?? The holistic thing? Anybody? No matter what, you still need buckloads of money. From where? Not so long ago cabinet members were spouting, no more money for MAS. I am still waiting with bated breath that somebody comes up with, open sky policy 2015 and barbarians at the gate. A.

@ flee Thanks for the update. Quote "The government and Khazanah Nasional Bhd are in the final stages of completing a holistic restructuring plan for Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) and a detailed plan will be announced by end-August, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak." End quote Can anybody enlighten me what a holistic approach would entail? The mind boggles. Cheers A.

@ flee. First, I don’t think that the initiation of the share swap was made with the open sky policy 2015 in mind. In German language we would call such explanation, “hineininterpretieren” Your last sentence make sense in a way. However, as you write that MH management knows what to do but can’t, then they have two options, tell it like it is, go public on it and face possible consequences to be sacked. Or, keep your salary and emoluments, sit tight as the ship sinks. They have contracts. Anybody blame them? @ leon t Yes, make sense too. However, who will pay for that? Cheers Art

Although i have mentioned my message before, i dont think it causes antagonism when i repeat again. It does not matter anymore if you change the logo of MAS, its tail logo or name. If you do not address the upcoming open sky policy in 2015, or any year it is going to be enforced, you will surender to the barbarians at the gate. A wise investor has said this when asked about it, his answer was, " dont swim with the sharks if yo are not fast enough and, if you are swimiing naked you will be exposed when the tide goes out. That, my friends it is in a nutshell. When KK Lee says in post 297, that operation cost of a380 is only 2 to 3% higher than 744 and has the lowest cask. i like to ask for a confirmation on that. It would not be make an iota of difference whern the sharks come swimming. And for my friend flee t post 298, if true, you could ground thye entire MH fleet, nes pas? Also not relevant if you are swimming naked. I apologise for being this blunt as it is, but any dollar spend on MAS without adressing the open sky policy is tainted with ignorance is bliss, at the minimum. As always, A.v.S. with best regards.

With all the talk about rebranding, changing colors, names and getting more efficient aircraft, it seems to me that the overriding question is not addressed. And what is that question then, you may ask? The open sky policy 2015 is my answer. All discussions about rebranding and renaming MAS become mute when you understand the implications of what is to come. If, as a national carrier you are not strong enough to compete with real strong opponents, you will lose that battle. My question. Is there anybody in MAS thinking about a strategy to survive in that open sky policy? If yes, what is the answer, if not MAS is doomed. Whatever branding or color scheme you want to apply. As the regular readers of this board know, I am not a big fan of TSTF. But one thing I have to give him, he did understand the implications of the coming open sky policy. Hence his aggressive opening of international joint ventures. As a thinking point, what would happen if somewhere in 2015 SQ would open a base in KL, with Thai and Garuda as well? I don’t hear anything from the MAS camp on this matter. Read here further for some understanding. https://airlinesairports.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/is-asean-open-skies-a-myth/ Cheers Art

Starting at post # 187 and #187. When one has to come to an unpalatable conclusion, it is better to take all available time and present it when there is really no suitable alternative anymore. Time has ran out by then and there you are, unpalatable becomes palatable overnight. Politics 101. And for more parody as per post # 185, My Nasi Kandahar Chowkit supllier says." Give me the MAS catering contract and i wil slash catering prices by 90 percent." "Then Skytrax will introduce back the award for best signature country dish and it will go to MAS for umpty years." And, he added, "for good measure, the management should work for minimum wage and be rewarded when the company makes profit." You see the simplicity? No need to be a University professor. All wisdom is on the street, F.O.C. Cheers Art

Aha, now we are getting somewhere. After the analysts and think tanks, now the universities have spoken. The unions must take a pay cut. Simplicity always wins, the ivory tower syndrome. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/07/16/take-pay-cut-mas-unions-told/ Who's next. Cheers Art

As Suzanne G. gets the price for most realism, post #5, MAR gets the price for ultimate sarcasm. Post # 11. Or did I read his post in an entirely wrong context? Could be, in that case I get my coat and hat and leave quietly. And @ flee, The moment MAS has a proper marketing budget again, you will see them climbing the Skytrax ladder forthwith.. Cheers Art

The think tank has spoken. It’s the Unions. “Think tank says unless their influence is tamed down, the national airline is heading into more turbulence.” But if you read the article further, after the union bashing, the tone changes. Now the think tank mentions political interference. And they are called a think tank? So, I asked the International Investment Bank of Timbuktu, I am a client, what their take on MAS is. The answer came within the minute. When the oil price goes down, MAS will return to prosperity. When AirAsia concentrates on India and leaves Malaysia alone, MAS will return to prosperity. When Malindo calls it a day, MAS will return to prosperity. When the Ringitt gets strong, MAS will return to prosperity. When Etihad buys the six A380, MAS will return to prosperity. There were fifteen more reasons but I will spare you those, you would get bored. I think you get the drift already. I thought only the banks analysts were kicking in open doors. But now also the think tanks are contributing. The next interview you will read in the papers or blogs on the subject, is the opinion of a Nasi Kandar restaurant owner in Chowkit who will tell you how its done. You will be surprised how simple his solution is. And he did not go to school. Cheers Art

No need i think to get excited as yet. From their website, and i quote, " Our Focus. 01. To raise fund through investment or corporate loan for initial business implementation." Contrary to other trailblazers we have seen in the past, at least they confirm that they are looking for money first. Its like looking to a hamster wheel and thinking, hmm, the wheel is turning, but where is the hamster. Nice weekend all. Cheers Art

One thing i forgot to mention in my earlier post. The Grapevine also mentioned that there is no such thing as takeover by Etihad. "You can take that to the bank" Arts grapevine is a certain happy hour lobby at a five star hotel in KL. Where tongs are loose and talk is supposed to be overheard. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/heard-it-through-the-grapevine.html Cheers and good night. Art

Saw on the 8pm news today that Khazanah now thinks that MAS should be privatized. Now, as they have seen the light, there are two figures. One. Market price is 1B USD. Second, Break up value is 1B Euro. So, even with paying premium to Khazanah, outlay for 70 percent should not be more than 1.5 B Euro. However, takeover candidates also take the excisting debt position. About 2.5 B Euro. Another thing i heard in the grapevine is that MAS will have heavy losses in Q2. to be announced later. One thing is for sure. Whomever takes over, if that is the case, is either very brave or are seasoned gamblers. My two ringgit sent opinion. Breaking up MAS and sell, MRO, Firefly and Airport Services, and maybe MASKargo, is the same as putting MAS into its grave. But finding a real player with money to take MAS for what it is, is the ultimate challenge. But, as the late General Patton once has said, "No guts no glory". We wiil know soon if anyone has the guts. Cheers Art.

@ KAH I have read th article you referred to. My advise to Tansri Aziz woud be, "ok, we hear what you are saying, it makes sense. But to follow your initiiative, you need money, and lots of it. If you have a backer on your plans, by all means, go for it." But, in all practicallity, Tansri, even if you have access to funding, can you pull this off against the mighty vested interests? What i mean is, Malaysian Families, it is easy to let someone with genuine concerns speak out on the issue, but, you,the good people of the Malaysian Airlines Family would better be advised to not only let a very senior ex MD gives his opinion but also give him a platform to step up to and not let his advise be in vain. Talk is cheap, Malaysian Families, and if you want to have a Tansri Aziz as your saviour, you better place him in the right context.If you can. If not, as it seems now, you are no better than Star Busiiness.or Utusan,. As for Tansri Aziz, I have the highest regards. He should be more carefull on whom his friends are. Cheers Art

With all due respect, what has "gaji tinggi" to do with it.? At flee and others, did you give up on the matter at hand? I have gaji tinggi for my advisory work. And you know what? Without it i walk. Terima Kashi. Cheers Art

Let me first say, as per Andy Warhol, "Each person has a right to have his fifteen minutes of fame in his lifetime". I am fine with that. What i do not understand, no matter how close i look to the described wonderful proposition, is that, there are always people who will put money into such ventures. And then complain later when all things went pear-shaped, that they were misinformed by their promoters. If you looking for embarrassing ventures in the last fifteen years, aviation related, you will shake your head in disbelief. What is it? Is aviation the ultimate aphrodisiac? The mind boggles. Cheers Art

I have read the article in Malaysian Insider. It mentiones several times that the MAS unions rejected the share swap. But, although it is a moot point now, was it not so that the share swap was illegal to begin with as per the Malaysian Competition Commission which has fined both airlines 10 Million for flouting competion regulations? As for the jist of the article, yes, the issue needs a brutal decision and the last three governments indeed could not stomach it. Personally i think that MAS and Khazanah do not have six to twelve months time to come up with a solution. Market developments in the aviation industry require a much shorter response time. And for MAS it is 5 minutes to twelve. If Khazanah does not wake up in time i fear for the worst for MAS as the competion will do what they don't dare. Just my two ringitt cents of course. Cheers Art

Question here, may be flee can educate us? "Would they bring JJ.Ong back ??" Other option, could it be that MAS Cargo be for sale as an entity on its own? Cheers Art

CEO of EK spoke on MH370. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/emirates-chief-questions-inaction-of-malaysian-military-in-mh370-disappeara Cheers A,