Proton hybrid cars – What is the status?

I was researching about hybrid cars after my sister wanted to own one and I came across news articles about Proton’s hybrid cars.

This is the first one:

Proton to invest RM1.6b on capex FY12

Posted on 14 June 2011

By Izwan Idris

SUBANG JAYA (May 26, 2011): Proton Holding Bhd, which made a net profit of RM61.64 million in its fourth quarter ended March 31, 2011(Q4), will invest RM1.6 billion in the current financial year on capital expenditure (capex) at home and at UK-based Lotus Group.

This is significantly higher than more than RM900 million spent on product development and facilities expansion made in FY11.

“This will be a big capex year for Proton. We are investing in the future,” group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin syed Mohamed Tahir said at a briefing yesterday.

He said the capex budget will be split in the middle between Proton and Lotus.

Proton is targeting to launch a new car next year, and is developing a Malaysian made alternative fuel propulsion system vehicle.

The company had obtained a government grant of RM270 million to pay for the research and development for this green vehicle.

Proton will deliver the first 30 units of hybrid as well as electric vehicles to the government next month.

Commercial rollout could happen as early as 2012.

Meanwhile, Lotus will require heavy investment to pay for its turnaround and development of new models targeted to be out by 2013.

Also in the pipeline is a plan to develop a “global small car” in what would be the first joint development between Proton and Lotus. No actual timeline for the project was given.

Syed Zainal said the increase in the capex will not affect Proton financial position. Proton’ cash balance stood at RM1.2 billion as at end-March.

The recovery, from below RM1 billion at the end of 2010, was propelled by improved inventory management at the group that also resulted in better performance.

For FY11, Proton made net profit of RM152.14 million on revenue of RM8.98 billion. Total sales volume reached 162,950 units, with exports up to 27,905 units.

An earlier news is this:

Govt in talks with Proton to supply hybrid cars to its officials

MIRI: Government officials will soon be provided with hybrid electric cars in another effort to go green.

The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is now in discussions with Proton Holdings Bhd to replace the current fleet of government vehicles with hybrid cars, said its minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin.

“If we really want to see the country go green, the Government must take the lead and show by example. We cannot keep telling the people and the private sector to go green if we do not do the same,” he told The Star yesterday, explaining the rationale behind the change.

A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. It combines an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.

Chin said vehicles using electric engines could save up to 40% of fuel and also drastically cut down on carbon emission.

He pointed out that the abolishment of import and excise duties for electric vehicles under Budget 2011 would see a big drop in prices.

“The present price of electric vehicles manufactured by Toyota is about RM175,000 in Malaysia because of the import and excise duties.

The hybrid cars will be jointly developed by Fraser – Nash Research:

Proton hybrid electric fleet for pilot run in January

KUALA LUMPUR: National car maker Proton will roll out its first fleet of hybrid electric vehicles in January for a pilot run before mass production begins in 2012, officials said Thursday.

Proton began testing prototypes two months ago in Britain and will conduct further tests in Malaysia before launching a fleet of 30 to 50 vehicles in mid-January for use by the government, said Nordiana Nordin, the company’s head of government liaison and infrastructure.

“We have a target of 2012 for mass production but it’s subjected to the fleet test program,” she told The Associated Press.

State-owned Proton is diversifying its business to boost its fading fortunes. It returned to the black in the financial year ended March, but its domestic market share has dwindled to under 30 percent from more than two-thirds just over five years ago due to greater competition.

Proton’s hybrid car is being developed with its British technology partner Fraser-Nash Research Ltd., its British unit Lotus, and South Korea’s LG, officials said.

Fourth news is this:

Proton delivers first batch of electric cars to Government

PUTRAJAYA: Proton has handed over the first batch of electric vehicles (EV) to the Government for testing and expects to mass produce them in two years.

The cars three Saga EVs and five Exora REEV or Range Extender Electric Vehicle will be used by the Prime Minister’s Department and four other ministries.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak received the vehicles from Proton chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh at the Perdana Putra building here yesterday.

Also present was Proton adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Proton Group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the group was targeting to offer the vehicles to the public in 2013.

“While we are very excited about the EVs, there is still a lot of testing and evaluation to be carried out.

“We will provide the Government with 200 more EVs and REEVs for this within a year,” he said.

He said Proton expected to receive a lot of feedback during the one-year test and evaluation period.

The EVs are expected to cost between RM70,000 and RM100,000.

“We are looking at RM100,000 or lower for the Exora REEV and RM70,000 for the Saga EV.

“Yes, the price is 30% to 40% higher than conventional vehicles but users get to save on fuel and road tax,” Syed Zainal Abidin said.

He added that on a full tank of petrol, the Exora REEV could cover up to 700km while the Saga EV could travel up to 130km before it needed to be recharged.

Now 4 questions I would like to ask are:

1) What is the status of these hybrid cars which are currently being used by the government officials? The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry or Proton needs to state the road worthiness of the cars. Are all those 30 units doing perfectly well? This is important since RM270 million of government’s money were given to Proton to develop it.

2) Since RM270 million was a grant and not a soft loan, the cost of each car (at R & D stage) is roughly about RM9 million. Slightly more expensive than a Bentley Continental. Is this justified?

3) Proton has cash balance of RM1.2 billion as at March 2011. Why would it need a further GRANT from the government of RM270 million? Surely RM270 million can be used elsewhere other than the cash rich Proton.

4) How much of this RM270 million being paid to third party such as Fraser – Nash and others?

Thank you.

Two faced Anwar Ibrahim and the infamous Wall Street Journal article

Anwar’s latest skulduggery came in a few hours ago in his blog when he desperately trying to clear his name against his position on Israel.

The blog post is titled – ‘Jangan Putar belit Kenyataan Demi Fitnah’ (Don’t twist my statement just to slander me)

Saya diwawancara oleh Wall Street Journal pada hari Khamis, 26hb Januari 2011. Antara soalan yang ditanya kepada saya adalah berkaitan dasar luar negara dan isu Palestin. Saya tuntas menegaskan bahawa kemahuan dan hak rakyat Palestin mesti dibela dan itu merangkumi hak untuk mendirikan negara sendiri serta tidak terus dizalimi. Saya juga mengungkapkan bahawa jika syarat ini dipenuhi maka wajarlah hak rakyat Israel juga dihormati.

Translation: “I stressed that the needs and rights of the Palestinian people must be guarded and that includes the right to establish their own country and not to be further victimised.”

Anwar Ibrahim changed his opinion 180 degrees in a split second after he is being criticised for being a stooge for the Americans and for supporting Israel.

Let us be clear that this latest statement to clear his name means absolutely nothing simply because the statement in bold above was not in the original Wall Street Journal article. If it is not there, then he would have not said it at all in the first place.

In the WSJ article, nothing was said about guarding the needs of Palestinian people or their rights to established a Palestinian country. No such thing was mentioned.

What Anwar Ibrahim should have done is to get WSJ to run full transcript of his interview. Or at the very least (since he is in the mood of suing everyone these days), to sue WSJ for tarnishing his image among his Muslim supporters and slandering him to be Israel’s number one fan!

The fact is ladies and gentlemen, this latest statement which was made in Bahasa Malaysia, was made purely to allay the fears of the Muslim Malays here in Malaysia.

At the end of that statement, he even strengthened this deceit by giving a warning to those who tries to twist his earlier interview. But we all know, nobody is pushing him to voluntarily make that interview and nobody is twisting anything.

We can take his words from the WSJ story word by word without changing anything and the result is still the same. He sealed his own fate with his own actions.

His latest blog posting was just a cover up to assuage his supporters.

It seems that the astute analysis by The Economist back in July 2009 is true after all; that Anwar Ibrahim IS a chameleon.

Anwar will play by the gallery since that is his second nature. He will say one thing to an audience. And will say a complete opposite to another audience.

In Malaysia, his Pakatan Rakyat says that they will protect the Malay rights, but in WSJ he said he would speed up the removal of racial quotas for university places.

Wiggling his way to be the next PM

To the world he lambasted us by saying the elections in Malaysia is dirty and not free and fair. But he did not tell them that his PKR party just witnessed the dirtiest party elections ever conducted which resulted in an exodus a few strong supporters in the form of Zaid Ibrahim and Haris Ibrahim.

I reinforce my assertion from my previous article; that Anwar is not in the correct state of mind to lead this nation.

Maybe he should make another trip overseas to get further instructions from his masters before they can pat him on his derriere and return him here with fresh directives on what to do next.

And just like how he ended his attempt to cover up his motives and ulterior motives, I shall end this article with the same words albeit with a slight change.

“Justeru saya memberi amaran keras kepada Anwar Ibrahim jangan cuba menjadi talam dua muka dalam memutar belit kenyataan-kenyataan beliau sendiri hanya kerana untuk mendapatkan kuasa.”

Thank you.

Read more HERE.

Anwar Ibrahim – A wannabe Malaysian PM that will protect Israel

“I support all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel”

That’s what Anwar Ibrahim said in an interview with Wall Street Journal when asked what would Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation’s relationship with Israel would be if he were elected as Prime Minister

A friendly leader to Israel

The article asked a lot of thing ranging from his opinion about the appeal made by the prosecutors over his acquittal of the sodomy charges, his agenda as the would be Prime Minister, all the way to reforming the sodomy laws which he deemed as ‘archaic’.

But the fact that he supports all efforts to protect the security of Israel is paramount in understanding the psyche of Anwar Ibrahim. Will we have a Prime Minister that will do his utmost best in securing Israel’s future?

The unfortunate reality of his statement is this – since when the state of Israel is being threatened which precipitates him to decide that Malaysia must support the efforts to protect it?

That is very telling indeed. When Malaysia in the past 6 decades had lent support to secure Palestinian’s sovereignty and security, Anwar Ibrahim will take the other way around.

Israel is a current reality that Anwar could have missed, can protect itself without Malaysia lending a helping hand; whether morally or financially.

It is the plight of fellow Muslims in the Palestine that needs our support.

Anwar Ibrahim however stop short his support of Israel by not saying he will open a diplomatic ties with Israel. But judging from this initial stand, nothing should be a surprise for us Malaysians.

Malaysia has consistently refrained from establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, although limited commercial ties exist between private companies in the two countries. That might change if Anwar Ibrahim is at the helm.

He remarked on the affirmative policy as well.

If elected, he said he would speed up the removal of racial quotas for university places and focus on helping lower-income groups regardless of race instead of solely aiding ethnic Malays.

Since when the government is solely aiding the Malays only? That is highly inflammatory and of course, misleading. The fact that he plays with racial sentiment over something which is not true and telling it to the world which tarnishes the country’s image makes him seditious and malicious.

His stand on sodomy laws is also unfathomable. He reaffirmed his stand that ”it is not his business to attack people or arrest people based on their sexual orientation”.

Yes, Malaysia does not attack or arrest people over their sexual orientation.

But there are laws that can be used if the victim is sodomised and wants to report it to the authority. That will protect the victims.

Which part of the sodomy laws that Anwar wants to amend? That victims cannot report to the police?

Two homosexuals can have their sexual relationship under the Malaysian sun without ever getting arrested. Unless of course, they are doing it in public or one of them cited rape etc. Same-sex marriage is of course prohibited under the Malaysian laws. The last time I check, it is even prohibited in most parts of the world.

Even in the US, there are laws against sodomy. The fact is and this is very important; Anwar is not in the correct state of mind to lead this nation.

The baggage he is carrying, his extreme need to coddle the West, his dictatorial and megalomaniac tendencies over his own party will not help him to provide the best for us Malaysians.

The full article can be read here

Further thoughts on the MAS/AirAsia issues

We take a break from talking about Azman Mokhtar and Danny Yusof as well as the bungle they and MAS are involved in with Tony Fernandes, AirAsia and QPR. Right now, we can safely say that MAS’ advertising investment is swirling around in the sink and will go down the drain anytime soon.

The position of QPR in the Premier League is now untenable.

They are languishing at 18th place in the relegation zone. The football pundits’ prediction may just come true by the end of this season; that QPR will be relegated into the lower division.

And along with it, MAS’ RM18 million which Danny had given away just to prop up Tony Fernandes’ pitiful football team.

What kind of other excuses can Danny Yusof give to defend his dodgy decisions, misjudgments and his precarious position? It is already beyond redemption.

It is not helping that he remains arrogant into thinking that he is doing a great job and remains ignorant that he is secured as to where he is.

This applies to Azman Mokhtar too. Unlike what he said earlier, advertising in QPR is never a good deal to begin with. Even this share swap is never a good deal.

Eyes are watching, ears are listening. MAS staff have the impression that Tony Fernandes is calling the shots and making decisions for the national air carrier.

A presumption never before seen in the history of MAS; an outsider, worse, a competitor taking charge into dismantling the once proud giant bone by bone, and strip its pride and pound it to the ground.

Whatever MAS has done so far (cancelling routes, advertising with QPR – that’s all they did?),  do not require their shares to be swapped with Air Asia in the first place. One wonders why on earth did they do that? As the result, Danny Yusof is now in MAS and Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun are the directors of MAS!

In an interview with The Edge last Saturday, Danny gave us the reason on why the share swap is necessary. Here are the excerpts of his replies:

The Edge, 14 January 2012

The report stated that Danny was the main man that brokered the share swap between MAS and Air Asia. When asked why is it necessary for the share swap to happen when MAS could have fixed the problem without Air Asia getting in, he summarised it as the impetus “to access the top minds of the industry. The partnership will come useful when we buy planes, for instance.”

That was his main reason. I find it hard to fathom the intelligence level of this deputy group CEO. In the first place, MAS is not in the business to buy or own planes. That is Syarikat Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad’s (“PMB”) job so why on earth would MAS acquire planes?

Historically it was Danny Yusof and Azman Mokhtar who took away MAS’ power to buy and own planes through their WAU plan back in 2002 and now Danny is speaking as if PMB does not have the expertise to buy planes.

Danny said, “we can learn from Tony and Kamaruddin. After all they placed an order for 200 Airbus in one go and that in itself tells you how powerful their negotiation skills are.”

Is that the reason why the share swap is necessary? For Tony to act as negotiator? Might as well take him as consultant. We have so many other talents around the world that MAS can employ to lead the negotiations without getting its shares and its board of directors being infiltrated by competitor.

There were talks that Air Asia over buying the 200 airplanes to bet on the rising demands of the market in the next few years with the intention to re-sell the planes to other airlines at better price than the prevailing market prices in the near future.

Will MAS buy planes from Air Asia just to ‘help out’ Air Asia then?

It will be helpful for Air Asia to have a friendly party in the form of Danny Yusof controlling the operations.

Or, it can be said that it is easier for Air Asia to sell any unwanted planes to MAS when its owners are also the executive directors of MAS!

If top management of MAS can give money to a company belonged to one of its director without any regards to corporate governance, we will be sure to see another these kinds of things to happen in the near future.

To re-cap, whatever Danny Yusof and Ahmad Jauhari said to justify this share-swap is untenable. The deal should not have happened in the first place.

Their business turnaround plan is in shambles and many people are not happy. MAS lacks the pragmatism and aggression to really overhaul its ailing business precisely because its  own top management and its main shareholder have other interests running contradictory to the survival of MAS itself.

Nobody in its Board of Directors have the gumption to do what is right because no one has a clue on how to do it. They do not have a clue because they are merely consultants who are being conned by their competitor. Danny is smittened with Tony.

In my previous article I said that MAS cannot become successful if consultants like him is managing it.

True enough MAS businesss turnaround plan was scoffed by analysts as simplistic and severely lacking the necessary measures to rejuvenate the airline. Have they looked into renegotiating their highly expensive flight catering cost with LSG Skychef – Brahim Sdn Bhd?

They won’t. Why?

Lack of aggression and curtailed by ulterior motives and interests. In other words, rightly put by analysts – they don’t have any traces of significant entrepreneurial spirit.

RHB disappointed by preview of ‘simplistic’ MAS turnaround plan

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 – Malaysia Airlines (MAS) lacks a plan for deep structural reforms said RHB Research Institute following a briefing by airline management ahead of the official unveiling of the national carrier’s turnaround strategy.

The research house said in a report today that the plan lacked cost cutting measures, revamps to the procurement systems or recapitalisation of its balance sheet.

RHB also said that it didn’t detect any evidence that the new collaboration with AirAsia has rejuvenated the airline.

“We did not find any significant ‘traces of entrepreneurial spirit’, if this is supposed to come with the entrance of Tune Air (controlled by AirAsia’s Tan Sri Tony Fernandes) as a 20.5 per cent shareholder of MAS,” said the report.

The report revealed that in the MAS briefing the management had said that they would cut unprofitable routes, improve fuel burn, negotiate better terms with aircraft manufacturers and redeploy capacity based on yield.

“We have to admit that we came out of MAS’ analysts’ tele-conference this morning feeling a little disappointed,” said RHB.

“Dubbed a preview to MAS’ grand turnaround plan scheduled to be officially unveiled next month, we did not find indications of any bold and dramatic moves that will turn things around, but just some logical things an airline will do in its normal course of business.”

RHB said that MAS’ key structural issues include a mature and saturated full-service segment and its main hub Kuala Lumpur not being a natural market for higher-yielding full-service business travelers unlike Singapore and Hong Kong.

It added that it hoped MAS would rope in a leading international airline as equity partner to help strengthening processes, revitalise work culture, broaden market reach and presence, and effect more constructive branding or co-branding exercises.

MAS reported a third quarter loss of RM477.6 million today, bringing total losses so far this year to RM962 million.

The airlines’ lacklustre financial performance in recent quarters had resulted in the share swap between MAS and AirAsia on August 9.

It saw state investment arm Khazanah taking a 10 per cent stake in Asia’s top budget carrier in exchange for a 20.5 per cent stake in the flag carrier.

This paved the way for AirAsia boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes to sit on the MAS board, ostensibly to help turn the ailing airline around.

The share swap and accompanying collaboration framework agreement raised public concerns that it would give rise to an industry cartel.

Firefly’s budget jet operations were shuttered last month.

The Finance Ministry revealed on November 3, however, that the share swap between MAS and AirAsia is being probed by Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission (SC) for insider trading. Source here.

People, passengers and voters are angry. My suggestion is for directors from AirAsia to resign from MAS’ board and replace MAS’ top leadership with people who are serious about MAS. People who has MAS’ interests solely in their hearts.

But I digress.

Delusional Lim Guan Eng is lying again!

This news caught my eye. It seems that Lim Guan Eng is back to his lying ways. It seems Lim Guan Eng will never stop lying in order to make himself look good. This is pitiful and not to mention pathetic.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Massive borrowing and irresponsible spending by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will result in Malaysia becoming a fully indebted nation before the end of the decade, Lim Guan Eng said today.

The Penang chief minister said that Putrajaya’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio has increased yearly from 53.1 per cent in 2010 to 53.8 per cent last year and is expected to hit 54.8 per cent this year.

Lim’s remarks are in response to a statement by Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) distinguished fellow Mohd Ariff Abdul Kareem, who warned that federal government revenue was growing too slowly to keep up with its borrowings which hit 53.1 per cent of GDP in 2010.

Mohd Ariff told The Malaysian Insider recently that Malaysia’s national debt will hit 100 per cent of the GDP by 2019 should Putrajaya continue to borrow more than it earns. He said while the current size of government debt relative to GDP was not troubling, the pace of its growth in recent years was cause for concern.

Lim added that a stagnation in salaries, coupled with increased prices for basic commodities such as sugar, eggs, and bread, will further result in Malaysians becoming even more debt-laden. 

The Bagan MP said that MIER’s projections that Malaysia could end up becoming bankrupt by 2019 showed the need for new federal government, one that should be led by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

He said that PR has successfully “managed” finances in states such as Penang.

“Penang managed to reduce (its) state debt from RM630 million in March 8, 2008 to only RM30 million as at end of October 2011. This represents a debt reduction of 95 per cent, or RM600 million, which is the highest debt reduction of any state in Malaysia’s history.

“Clearly, Malaysians who wish to have a better life for themselves and their future generations must make a choice between a government that is spendthrift and that borrows irresponsibly without being able to make the pie grow bigger, or a government that is prudent and transparent that will put the concerns of the rakyat first,” Lim added.

Even that so called fellow from MIER do not know what he is talking about. This blog and fellow bloggers SatD and economist HishamH had time and time again exposed Lim Guan Eng and his tendency to lie outright to the public.

Ooops! Caught lying again..

In Lim ‘The Empty Can’ Guan Eng, we had already exposed the fact that the debt of Penang was lessened not due to his remarkable leadership but because Federal Givernment had taken over the RM600 million debt from Penang and graciously change its status into a 45 year grant. That is how it became RM30 million. Down 95%.

It is not rocket science. Instead of thanking the Federal Government, this so called accountant turned chief minister had the audacity to chastise them further.

He even got it wrong on Bernas a few days ago! How many times do you want to lie Guan Eng?

As for all the mumbo jumbo dished out by that MIER fellow, his arguments has been pre-empted, dissected and crushed by HishamH in his FAQ on National Debt.

You can read them here, here and here. It is a three part series.

I WISH ALL OPPOSITION LEADERS AND THEIR SYCOPHANTS TO REALLY KNOW YOUR FINANCES AND ECONOMICS STUDIES BEFORE OPENING THEIR MOUTHS.

We surely do not want another simple case of not knowing how to calculate an average of inflation rate.

Thank you.

P.S. To understand Lim Guan Eng and his lying ways, please read them here.

Things that matter..

I stumbled upon this poignant and profound youtube video which I find quite relevant for us today. Have a go at it. On that note, I hope it is not too late to wish all my friends a very happy and magnificent new year!

Have a blessed time with your loved ones.

Azman Mokhtar and Danny Yusof Must Go (Part 4)

To put things simple enough, RM18 million of MAS’ very important, very hard earned cash was given to another company belonged to one of its directors. Basically, a director of MAS, Tony Fernandes got RM18 million given to his other company – a football team, Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

There is a massive conflict of interest there. Worse, the transaction was transacted like a kneejerk reaction. Like someone had jerk the leash of owners of MAS and bamboozled them into agreeing to give their money to another director.

EPL table as at 28th December 2011

Was there a tender committee being called before the transaction was approved? Which other teams were selected in the final leg of the tender procedures? Were the teams in the Spanish Primera Liga or the Italian Serie A taken into consideration as well? We can bet there were none. Is this how a premier airline should have used its advertising money?

Right after Christmas, QPR is now just 3 points above the relegation zone. From 18 games played, they could just secure 17 points. That is less than a point for each game. If this continues, they will get less than 40 points by the end of the season. In a season where 38 games are played, the 40 point mark is the benchmark in order to survive the Premier League. If this hold true, the punters were correct in saying that QPR has 1 in 4 chance to be relegated by the end of the season.

Maybe this would be a bad omen. Just like how MAS is fighting for its survival, QPR will be fighting most in the relegation zone for the rest of the season. But unlike QPR, the management of MAS is consciously mismanaging the company towards destruction.

Conflicts of interests?

Bad advertising deals?

Big deal!

Azman Mokhtar, Danny Yusof and Tony Fernandes are above the petty rules and regulations! Are they? Maybe the government should give Danny a Tan Sri-ship too!

We can safely deduce that this RM18 million advertising deal is to help Danny’s partner in crime fleecing money from a GLC at the most minimum hassle and purview.

You might think RM18million is a small amount. Try counting 1 to 18,000,000 and get back to me when you’re done.

Now how about the breach in anti-trust laws? When the share-swap agreement was inked in early August, the millionaire brother of the Prime Minister, Nazir Razak had said:

“We will be looking at all the anti-trust provisions in all the markets the three global airlines operate in.”

MAS and AirAsia even said in their statements to Bursa Malaysia ‘that the collaboration agreement would only be committed upon once an anti-trust analysis had been completed and was in compliance with the applicable laws with regards to anti-trust.’

But what happened soon after was anything but being compliant to the anti-trust laws. The routes to KL – Bandung and KL – Sandakan were taken off without so much of a warning; leaving AirAsia as the sole service provider of the routes.

There aren’t any other foreign flights to ply this route for customers to choose from too.

When MAS was still plying this route, the average ticket price of AirAsia ticket to Bandung from Kuala Lumpur was around RM300 to RM400 and could be as high as RM800 if you had bought them a few days before the departure date.

But currently, even at two weeks before the date, AirAsia is selling them at more than RM1,000 each! It was RM800 if you buy slightly earlier than that.

Pricing as at 5th December for flights on 20th December

This is in serious breach of anti-competitive laws.

Customers are at the mercy Air Asia.

You give capitalism a bad name

Nazir Razak made to look like a buffoon by this AirAsia – MAS swap. By issuing statements when he is not even privy to the operational plans of both companies, he probably won’t deny that he has become a buffoon.

The question now is, what will Azman Mokhtar do?

Tony Fernandes made it clear that he does not give a damn about what the customers think or feel. In one episode, when had to deal with the newly revised airport tax, Tony Fernandes responded via twitter to many of the complaints by his customers with:

“It’s a free world. If you don’t want to fly and done (sic) like us you don’t. We have to use malaysian airports. That’s the difference”.

The blog journalist who blogged about this found his tweet ‘rather unbecoming, if not somewhat churlish’.

Well it seems now, passengers going to Bandung have no choice but to pay the exorbitant ticket prices.

Now everyone can fly? I don’t think so.

Rumours has it that MAS will also terminate their Haji Charter services to Jeddah in their new business plan which by the way are planned by their board of executive directors. Incidentally, two of these directors are the owners of Air Asia. So which airline will be given this concession in the future?

Anyway, Tony Fernandes had the cheek to run a guerilla type campaign against Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad regarding the airport tax when he himself is squeezing the public. One just have to remember the inability of Azman Mokhtar in trying to get Tony to pay MAHB over the millions of ringgit in airport tax collected by AirAsia.

Only in 2010 was the sum finally paid up; not totally, and getting further discount too.

Tony is fighting for the rakyat? Tony is robbing the rakyat that’s more like it. How much does a maggi mee costs in an AirAsia flight? Very expensive.

Can we bring our own food to eat in the flight if we don’t want to pay those extremely pricey food?

Of course we cannot do that.

Do you know that flights to Jakarta via KLM is much more cheaper than AirAsia’s own flights? KLM provides food and in flight entertainment too. With all those incidental fees here and there, Tony Fernandes hoodwinked Malaysians into believing that he provides cheap flights.

Coupled with very lousy service right from the booking department all the way to the quality of its aircraft, AirAsia is a behemoth of which crooks are hiding behind it.

Tony went overboard with his campaign against the MAHB when he urged the public to stand up for the ‘unfair’ airport tax hike when in fact, airport tax had not been increased for more than a dozen of years.

He proceeded in buying full page newspaper advertisement in The Star vilifying MAHB to the extent of directing AirAsia staff to wear protest badges and putting up anti-MAHB posters all over MAHB’s airports!

Surely as the owners of the airports, MAHB has the rights to remove all those illegal and provocative posters. But when MAHB did exactly that, Tony went berserk and publicly slam them for harassing his staff!

Tony tweeted:

“Malay­sian airport staff tearing down our posters and taking away airport passes of our staff. And using intimidation. Can someone tell them this is Malaysia and not a police state.”

This is a typical opposition mentality whereby the main villain is antagonising and provoking the establishment and then claiming to be the victim. When you are acting like gangsters, of course someone will have to act against you.

And to think that Tony received the Asian Corporate Director Recognition Award by Corporate Governance Asia last July for his ‘contributions in enhancing business ethics, transparency and corporate social responsibility on the foundation of his success in running the airline business. In addition to these selection criteria, the award also recognizes Tony’s efforts in helping to raise the standards of corporate governance practice in Malaysia’.

Luckily the MD of MAHB, Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad stood his ground and remained a gentleman when facing this petulant CEO of a company which he had gave so many special privileges all these years.

Thomas Jefferson had said – “Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.”

While Bashir Ahmad showed character and resoluteness, finesse is non existent in Tony Fernandes. At the same time, something much worse is plaguing Khazanah’s top management; their lack of accountability.

If Azman Mokhtar couldn’t curtail Danny Yusof from agreeing to that RM18 million deal, what makes you think his other investment decisions will be sound?

The deal was mired with blatant conflict of interests which is nakedly open for the public to see and yet the main shareholder of MAS is not doing anything about it. In fact, they are actively supporting this mistake!

The mismanagement and systematic destruction of MAS, the arrogance of the conniving Tony Fernandes, supported by inaction of Khazanah and their investment blunders will certainly not look good on the Prime Minister’s reputation.

But nobody seems to be awake at the moment. Everyone is being bigheaded and high and mighty yet nobody wants to be accountable.

Just like the arrogant CEO of AirAsia X, whom after been queried in twitter over the RM250 million subsidy given to them, had lashed out at people who questioned him as not having the necessary intellectual capacity.

He invited people to deal with him directly through email but then quickly dismissed any queries behind the Auditor General’s report. Nearly 2 months has passed but until this day, I have not received any explanation of the RM250 million subsidy from him.

Hot air is everywhere even during this rainy season but the government is too lethargic to take action.