The conniving entrepreneur turned loud mouth nuisance
Like a python, eventually the true colors of Tony Fernandes would be demonstrated some day. In his tweets yesterday, AirAsia CEO Fernandes was uncouth and unbecoming when he took potshots against Malaysia Airports and Ministry of Transport:
Unbecoming of a director of GLC rubbishing KSU of MOT in social media
Unbecoming of a director GLC rubbishing another GLC in social media
The Sun reported this attacks:
AirAsia chief launches attack on MAHB on social media
Posted on 15 November 2011 – 11:19pm
Last updated on 15 November 2011 – 11:25pmKANG SIEW LI
sunbiz@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA (Nov 15, 2011): AirAsia chief Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is in the news again, this time attacking Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) in the social media realm, the same day the airport operator was raising the airport departure tax for international passengers as well as aircraft landing and parking charges for airlines.
Slamming MAHB’s move, Fernandes, who is also a director of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), said: “With economic conditions as they are, MAS and AirAsia have given MAHB great ideas to increase their income by working with us and attract more (new) airlines (to operate from Malaysia)… then (MAHB should) reduce (airport) charges to the people.
“It’s the passengers who pay airport tax. We are fighting for the people of Malaysia!” he posted on his Facebook page.
Incidentally, AirAsia had scheduled a press conference yesterday to address the hike in airport taxes by MAHB, but had cancelled it at the last minute, “due to an unforeseen circumstance”.
MAHB had last month received the Transport Ministry’s nod to raise airport tax at the country’s 39 airports it manages, excluding low-cost carrier terminals (LCCTs), to RM65 from RM51 for international travellers. For departing international passengers at the LCCT in Sepang and Terminal 2 Kota Kinabalu, the airport tax will be raised to RM32 from RM25.
The aircraft landing and parking charges, meanwhile, will be gradually raised by up to 30% and 64%, respectively.
“Too many empty promises from MAHB. We as airlines get blamed for their poor performance,” Fernandes said.
He also took a swipe at the Transport Ministry’s decision to approve the hike, asking why it wasn’t defending the people “to make sure they get good value for the (old) RM25 airport tax”.
“They are the regulators. The ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Long See Wool, sits on the board of MAHB. How can he be objective and play fair to the airlines?” he asked.
Fernandes also questioned MAHB’s recent move to build a 3.96km third runway at the new LCCT called KLIA2 in Sepang, the delay in its completion as well as the escalating cost of building KLIA2.
“Why is KLIA building a third runway when they don’t use dual mode on two runways. London’s Heathrow Airport has 60 million passengers with two runways. Fix the air traffic system, MAHB. That would have been cheaper than building another runway,” he said.
“AirAsia wants MAHB to come clean. Terminal (KLIA2) is supposed to be operational by June 2012 and supposed to cost RM2 billion. What’s the truth?”
When contacted by SunBiz yesterday, MAHB CEO and managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid said the airport operator will respond in due course.
Fernandes also hit out at the four MPs who had on Monday criticised him and Khazanah Nasional Bhd CEO and managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar over the recent MAS-AirAsia share-swap deal.
“(The) four MPs have…made it very personal for five years. One MP said I rape poor villagers.
“(But) villagers could never fly before. We have worked so hard to make flying affordable and 130 million people have flown due to us. Why are these members of parliament not questioning the cost of airports and fighting for lower taxes for the rakyat?” he wrote.
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And also Business Times:
Fernandes tweets his ire over host of issues
Read more: Fernandes tweets his ire over host of issues http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111115232457/Article/index_html#ixzz1doWzT2wS
In a series of tweets, AirAsia CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes raised questions on MAHB’s operations, the effectiveness of members of parliament and the objectivity of the Transport Ministry
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd may have called off a press conference yesterday on Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd’s (MAHB) airport tax hike but that didn’t stop its co-founder from taking to Twitter to vent his frustration.
In a series of tweets which started in the morning, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes raised questions on MAHB’s operations, the effectiveness of members of parliament (MPs) and the objectivity of the Ministry of Transport (MOT).
Fernandes also questioned the need for a third runway in Kuala
Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) when there are ways to increase utilisation of existing runways.“Why is KLIA building a third runway when they don’t use dual mode on two runways? Heathrow has 60 million passengers
with two runways. Fix the air traffic system MAHB. Would have been cheaper than building another runway,” he said.
Fernandes questioned why MPs, who had criticised him, have not questioned the cost of airports and fought for lower taxes for the rakyat.
MOT was also not spared, as Fernandes put to task its role in regulating airports.
“The (secretary-general Datuk) Long See Wool of Ministry of Transport sits on the Malaysia Airports board. How can he be objective and play fair to the airlines?” he asked.
Fernandes’ rant was triggered by the hike in airport tax, landing and parking charges which took effect yesterday.
Last month, MAHB announced that MOT had approved a RM14 increase in airport tax for international passengers to RM65 per passenger for most of its international airports.
The low-cost carrier terminal in KLIA and Terminal 2 in Kota Kinabalu saw charges go up by RM7 per international passenger to RM32.
Landing and parking charges will rise in three stages over three years.
Landing charges will be nine per cent higher and parking charges will be increased by 18 per cent a year.
*************
It is very inconsiderate for Fernandes to do this, especially where he is now a director and member of the Exco Committee of Malaysia Airlines, which is a GLC under Khazanah. His company Tune Air is a 20.5% share holder of Malaysia Airlines, which was the outcome of the ‘hostile reverse take order’ in an arm twisting ‘share swap’ deal concluded on 9 August. Many was appalled on the terms of the ‘share swap’ and how Fernandes was quick to devour Malaysia Airlines for his advantage, particularly all the airlines under the Tune Air Group.
The snakey-est corporate deal ever: Malaysia Airlines-AirAsia 'share swap'
Malaysia Airports is a Khazanah listed subsidiary.
We were told that Khazanah Holdings Bhd. Managing DIrector Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar specifically off Fernandes when they were talking to do the ‘share swap’ that “The latter shouldn’t do any grand-standing” and “Leave Malaysia Airports alone”. Fernandes was also specifically asked to “Settle all AirAsia’s dues to Malaysia Airports”, which peaked to an aggregated sum of RM 115 million.
Actually, Fernandes never left Malaysia Airports alone. Sources within said soon after able to pounched onto Malaysia Airlines successfully, he was ultra quick to make his moves on Malaysia Airports. This is expected of him as once, he harboured to intention to control his own airport and wiggled his ways via Sime Darby. However, it was foiled.
Now that Fernandes is part of Malaysia Airlines and Khazanah Holdings Bhd. is a shareholder and has a director in AirAsia BOD, Khazanah Holdings Managing Director Azman has the moral obligations to shut him up and discipline him. It is very crude of Fernandes to make pot shots in the social media like that, when in his position now as director of a GLC company and operator of a major regional low cost carrier, he must have other proper ways and channels to express his views to both Malaysia Airports and Ministry of Transport.
In fact, for someone who has been collecting airport taxes upfront for his AirAsia passengers and later dodged his ways to not pay Malaysia Airports. That should be deemed as wrongful if not unscrupulous. But so far, Fernandes got away with it without even a slap on his wrist.
Why is conniving former record executive who is famous for his showmanship and snazzy marketing gimmicks, do this unbecoming act of rubbishing Chief Secretary of a Ministry, another GLC and Government agency in his tweets?
AirAsia's stock the last six months
Many people are speculating the thiat is a precursor to the outcome of on going Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia investigations on the ‘share swap’ deal. Even MPs raised concern over this rather dodgy deal.
Tuesday November 15, 2011
Barisan MPs criticise MAS-AirAsia share swap deal
BARISAN Nasional MPs criticised the controversial Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia share swap deal during the Budget debate.
The issue cropped up when Barisan backbenchers deputy chief Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said he would continue to voice opposition against the low-cost carrier if the ministry failed to thoroughly investigate the allegations levelled against it.
“I ask the ministry to carry out a proper investigation that will provide accurate answers,” he said.
The outspoken MP also hit out at AirAsia for purportedly impo-sing exorbitant excess luggage fees on passengers as well as the lack of plans for aerobridges at KLIA2.
Wee Choo Keong (Ind-Wangsa Maju) also joined in the chorus of protest, saying safety must come first for passengers.
“Every airline must use the airbridge, for the convenience and safety of the people.
“They should not be made to walk on the tarmac, which is very dangerous. Many countries have rules disallowing this,” he said.
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A Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee would investigate beginning 22 November on the ‘share swap’ deal between Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.
The truth is that AirAsia’s stock prices rose from RM 2.40 in February to RM 4.00 in August (the price which was determined as the basis for the ‘share-swap’ with Malaysia Airlines). Then there was a ‘wayang’ a few months before the ‘share-swap’ where Fernandes ‘threatened’ to move AirAsia head quarters to Jakarta.
We here in BigDogDotCom have said that Fernandes had always been bad news. During the mid 2006 ‘Airline Rationalisation Plan’ where Fernandes used the ‘Level Four Boys’ to ask then PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to hand over majority of Malaysia Airlines’ domestic routes to AirAsia, which include the heavily subsidised Rural Air Services. Not only he cannibalised the RAS for his expantionary program without actually serving the consumers in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak, he manipulated the additional routes to earn him a bigger market share for investor confidence.
Probably this is the right opportunity to reprimand him. He cannot get away with barking and being uncouth at GLCs and Government agencies recklessly in social media just like that. The Head of GLCs Azman Mokhtar, must now speak up for Malaysia Airports and muzzle this arrogant canine. His barks has become unbearably annoying.
The sooner this pariah canine with a Berkshire accent could be muzzled, better for the industry and stakeholders’ relation management for Malaysia Airlines, which calls KLIA her home.
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
Azman M (M for Mangkuk) is a chicken shit. No point asking him to speak up. He does not care about us, the taxpayers. He only cares about his himself and his ungrateful buddies including Tony F (F for Fucker). Puiiii…..
In many aspects, I do agree with Tan Sri Tony. MAS & AA bring a lot of travellers and spent millions in A&P not just for travellers to fly with them, but to come to Malaysia. There are millions of business travellers and also coming to Malaysia for leisure & holidays.
A cheaper airport tax will result a cheaper air fare. Hence, travelling to Malaysia will be cheaper. The income that Malaysia should gain not from air fare, but the ability of those travellers spending here. Name it, transfers, lodgings, meals and shopping. It creates a tremendous spin-off especially tourism related businesses!!!! And this spin-off not just benefited kuala Lumpur but span throughout Malaysia. (hey, long houses do benefit this spin-off as well)
Luckily, the Government doesn’t charge exit tax for Malaysians travelling abroad just like most countries do to curb their people spending outside their country.
Put aside jealousy and focus the way foward. Looking the gloomy way MAS has been doing since parted from MSA, we prefer AA to be crowned as National Flag Carrier.
Hantu FELDA
In many aspects, you are just guessing. Get some facts to back your claim. Otherwise you are being had.
Cause I was used to be shown fact that Air Asia travellers brings no economic spin-offs. That is unless Tony’s ego is considered economic spin-off.
Just wondering about one of TF’s arguments on his tweets: Why KLIA needs a 3rd runway and not use the dual modes like Heathrow.
Firstly, they did want to build a third runway but the current Govt canceled the approval. So, in essence they would prefer to have an additional runway.
Secondly, Heathrow is only starting to test dual modes and trials would extent until 2012.
Trial begins at Heathrow to explore the potential to reduce delays and cut late running flights (http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=1d532f25264b2310VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&ChID=a6032f25264b2310VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&Ct=B2C_CT_GENERAL&CtID=448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&ChPath=Home^Heathrow+noise^General^Noise+in+your+area^Operational+trial&search=true)
Big Dog, 1 simple question.
Is Air Asia better or MAS better…in terms of lifting the country’s image?
The one doing better is this aspect is the real national carrier for Malaysia, not the one our government or you (or I) declare.
This attack on Air Asia by you and some politicians is getting really irritating for me. I have not shares in Air Asia, nor do I know Tony personally.
As far as I am concern, the last straw was you last article, when you mentioned that MAS sponsors QPR’s home jersey at much higher $ compared to Air Asia sponsorship of their away jersey. You mentioned that the away jersey will pull in more publicity because it will be worn at the big away games…….MU, Chelsea, Liverpool etc….
You got the facts wrong my friend……the home jersey is really the first choice jersey and will be used for all home games, and whenever the opposing team do not use similar color jersey at away games. So QPR will use the home jersey when away to MU and Liverpool!
I have confirmed you got this particular fact wrong, I am no longer sure of the authenticity of your other facts. You have lost your credibility.
And by the way…what is the benefit of destroying Tony and Air Asia. Wouldn’t it be better to work with the guy.
And what justification you have to call a person pariah……in this day and age, it only reflects on your primitive intellect.
How did you confirm it and why didn’t you quote the authority, man?
To your question which is better “in terms of lifting the country’s image”, what is your yardstick for determining that?
And what do you mean by “the real national carrier for Malaysia”? Isn’t MAS clearly the national carrier, the flag carrier, carrying the name of the country? Pls tell me if there has been a change of late.
How much money has MAS lost from the time it came into being after the split-up of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines till it’s last financial year?
How much has the government had to inject into MAS in the form of bailout funds to date?
Has Malaysia got any semblance of a national aviation policy?
What is the government’s strategy to make KLIA a true regional air hub in the face of overwhelming competition from Singapore’s Changi Airport and airports in the Gulf region, specifically Dubai?
It’s easy to take pot shots at Tony F when you are blissfully ignorant of the economics of the airline industry and it’s current state of play!
Just go ask the IATA boss (Tony Tyler) for his take on the subject, instead of waffling on about “national carriers”!
I agreed with Tony on this issue. Cheaper airport tax means cheaper airfare. AA with their promotional price may mean zero airfare but due to the high airport tax, travelers sometime have to pay more on airport tax than the airfare. Worst, the LCCT facilities does not justifi the high airport tax let alone the increase of such tax. MAHB should just forego their greed for higher profit as lower tax will enable AA and MAS to bring in more travelers to Malaysia and their spending here will boost Malaysian economy.
This fellow is not fighting for the people. He is fighting for his business interests. In any case if people choose to travel to international destinations by air, then they must also be prepared to pay airport tax and any increase in the tax. Nothing comes cheap these days. It’s a non issue that has beem turned into an issue by Air Asia.
Sob Sob…Tan Sri dpt untong sikit2 k ler.Remember…Everybody can fly!!
wawa
Why TF marah marah MAHB nak naikkan tax? Kan TF boleh simpan lebih banyak RM dari kutipan tax itu dan pusing sebelum bayar balik ke MAHB bertahun tahun kemudian dgn 30% diskaun. Malah dia leh dapat lebih banyak dari tax MAHB dari penumpang yang tak fly….. Saja je TF nak tonjolkan isu baru untik lari dari terus kena bambu oleh MP2.
[…] Fernandes’ tweetsBig Dog in his latest posting criticised a array of Tweets done by AirAsia arch executive officer Tan Sri […]
Big Guy.
Its spot on you use the ‘python’ metaphor as our opening statement. Its bloody clear that this CHEATING SNAKE is getting more GREEDY and ever ready to constrict its prey!
His whole business mannerism is about manipulation, hype & getting the market excited. Then he would conveniently strategise & channel all these to meet his objectives.
The “AirAsia growth at the expense of MAS” story is just a tip of the iceberg. He manipulated himself further and further!
Collecting monies upfront from consumers as ‘airport tax’ and having the intention not to hand it over to Malaysia Airports (at least not in full!) should be seen as CHEATING! This GREEDY SNAKE should be charged and jailed!
All these hype created is to justify why he collected over RM 100 million upfront from travellers and not handing it over to Malaysia Airports! As simple as that.
Remember how he got Naza to sponsor most of his spending for the F1? Then how about he used the brand ‘Lotus’ without permission?
It was a snakey-iest con job in Malaysian corporate history. I was told he promised Syed Nasar that he could get PM to give them the Lotus co, just like previously Mv Agusta was hived away for a song. That got the buy in (for Naza’s cash as GREEDY SNAKE won’t fork out money! Same MO how he got Malaysia Airlines to sponsor ‘home jersey’ games for QPR!). They didn’t hv enough dough to last. So they were banking on Petronas’s sponsorship.
But that didn’t come. Petronas under Hassan Merican was smart enough to smell the rat with this guy and opted for Mercedes GP instead. That sponsorship deal came with good business opportunity for Petronas as Syntihum lubes is choice for Merc’s ‘first fill’ in China and Turkey markets.
I doubt it had it was Shamsul Azhar then, Petronas’s interest would hv been protected.
This open attacks using twitter was intentional, to get a lot of attention and hype it further. He is now manipulating the interests of the younger generation via social media and create a controversy.
This ‘uncouth behaviour’ as you call it is part of GREEDY SNAKE’s strategy to realize his failed ‘Labu Airport’ dream. The end game would be him being asked to come onboard of Malaysia Airports, just like he wiggled himself into Malaysia Airlines.
He’ll make a pig’s swill out of the whole thing from within! Just watch!
Cheaper taxes does not mean cheaper airfare! Don’t be fooled by Tony’s machinations saying cheaper taxes will lead to cheaper airfares. It only seems that way because in Malaysia we have to pay the tax all-in with the fares, whereas in other countries taxes are paid at the airport when you’re going to fly. Taxes has no bearing on the true air ticket you pay!
To be honest I think airport fees should be collected by MAB when you fly, to avoid certain parties collecting the fees when you DON’T fly. I think everyone knows who that party really is.
He does take pot shots this Tony Fernandez fellow. Not just at MAHB, the Ministry of Transport. Even MPs and poor villagers “who could never fly before” and never will.
This is the problem when a man gets arrogant. Operates Air Asia, given a share swap deal with MAS and placed on the Board of MAS as well. He is riding high now. Sounds high and mighty.
He rose during the time of Tun Abdullah Badawi. He is able to rise higher under DS Najib Administration as well. He probably has powerful links that make him arrogant and taking pot shots at others he disagrees with.
There’s the Malay saying pandai pandai tupai melompat … The world over there have been huge companies that suffered, splintered and gone kapputz. It’d be well for him not to walk on air but place his feet on the ground. Voice his grouses decently and in decorum.
Is he taking Twit lessons from Joey Barton?
~ OnDaStreet
“It’s the passengers who pay airport tax.” And you keep in your pocket .
I sincerely hope you will pay dearly
Yes. At one point of time, AirAsia collected RM116 million of airport taxes BUT REFUSED to hand it over to MAHB.
When they are pressured to do so, they fought tooth and nail to get the airport taxes which they already collected from the passengers, be discounted and not hand over the entire collected amount.
Isn’t that, CHEATING?
MAS is bleeding , being a cash cow for so many years. Asia Asia came in, make it good, took away more passengers from MAS. So the bleeding is difficult to be stop.
MAS aside Air Asia aside but this TONY man is a 21st century conman. RIPPING OTHERS FOR HIS OWN SURVIVAL. He will conned up to the highest level to get things done for his own benefit EVEN if he has to KILL everybody along the way. Thats what matters to the Malaysian.
He claimed years ago that he did it barehanded without any govt help.
When SQ planned for a long haul budget subsidiary he said he welcomed competition.
NOW……
He is using all the top govt agencies to help him and whipping anybody that does not come to his term. MAHB has been very quiet at the moment.
He virtually stop Full Load Firefly flights by asking AJ to announce jet operation is incurring a heavy losses. He does not want a COMPETITION. What a contradiction !!
Your Air Asia guys, we a not against you. It is the dirty business tricks by Tony that is annoying the Malaysians. Everyone one to live but do not stab other people to die just because of your greed.
By the way Air Asia could never become national carrier because the airline own by an outsider and air asia is all over asia not Malaysia. Ideally it belong to an Indon.
Wine women and song. The party is over.
memang MAHB bodoh..kalau nak naikkan naikkan la kepada Kapal Terbang asing bukan local kapal terbang macam MAS,FIREFLY dan AirAsia…
Tanpa Airport Tax tikeit aku beli lagi murah.. jadi dalam bab ini aku sokong Tony Fernandes.. yang korang nak bising2 buat apa, kebaikan dan kesenangan adalah kepada pengguna.. siapa yg offer the best get the rest..
Dengan Air Asia lah ramai rakyat Malaysia dapat terbang melancong ke negara lain.. kalau nak harap tiket MAS nak ke Sabah dan Sarawak pun susah..
So why must we blame Tony and Air Asia?? Kalau dia boleh buat yang terbaik untuk pengguna kenapa MAHB tidak? MAHB adalah GLC kerajaan.. adakah GLC kerajaan keutamaan adalah untuk MENCARI KEUNTUNGAN??
Soal kadar airport tax yang berbezaa untuk syarikat penerbangan asing atau tempatan tidak timbul. Sekiranya ini berlaku, maka syarikat penerbangan asing mungkin tidak mahu menggunakan airport di Malaysia dan ini merugikan negara. Sekiranya hanya MAlaysia Airlines, AirAsia dan FireFly sahaja yang menggunakan airport, maka pendapatan negara secara langsung (dari airport tax) atau tidak langsung (dari kunjungan pelawat) akan terjejas.
Persoalan sekarang, AirAsia kutip airport tax dari penumpang TETAPI tidak bayar langsung kepada MAHB. Dan apabila AirAsia diminta menyerahkan kepada MAHB semua airport tax yang telah dikutip dari penumpang, AirAsia berdegil untuk serahkan dan memberikan pelbagai alasan, termasuk kenyataan menggunakan media sosial seperti kes ini bagi kunun kunun mengharapkan dapat perhatian pengguna. Ini sengaja agar tekanan diberikan dengan niat AirAsia tidak perlu menjelaskan semua aorort tax yang telah dikutip.
Malangnya, lama lama AirAsia tersepit. Lepas tu, bila terpaksa, AirAsia nak mintak diskaun pulak dari RM 116 juta yang telah dikutip dari penumpang itu berbanding menyerahkan semua walaupun ianya telah dikutip dari penumpang yang telah membuat perjalanan.
ITU MENIPU NAMANYA!
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