Ribbeck Law Chartered (Ribbeck)’s media statement has put our national carrier, MAS, in a bad light, HERE. Common sense dictates that MAS should have immediately responded with the production a letter from Ribbeck to support its contention that MAS was directed by Ribbeck not to communicate with the family of crew members of MH370.
After four long agonising days have elapsed, at 7:57 pm on 25-5-2014 the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department have finally responded to the media statement of Ribbeck. The timing of the media statement speaks volume of the capabilities and professionalism of the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department in handling problems.
Below are the lame excuses offered by the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department. The 7:57 pm media statement did not answer the media statement of Ribbeck, which has specifically stated it did not communicate with MAS to stop communicating with the family of the crew of MH370.
The said 7:57 pm media statement of MAS, has raised more questions than answers on the credibility of the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department. The 7:57 pm media statement was another desperate attempt to spin at best. No wonder the author of the said media statement was shy to put his name to it.
From: YOUR VOICE ONLINE <UVOICE@malaysiaairlines.com>
Date: 23 May 2014 07:57:46 pm GMT+8
Subject: MH370: Media Statement 33Media Statement 33
MH370 Incident
Released at 7.40pm/23 May 2014
Malaysia Airlines would like to reiterate that it has committed to communicate all matters with regard to the disappearance of MH370 to all family members.
From 7 May 2014 onwards (after the closure of the Family Assistance Centre (FAC)), the airline has been updating family members with news from JACC and the Malaysian Government as and when it is made available via its caregivers and the Family Support Centre (FSC).
However on 3May 2014, the US law firm, Ribbeck Law Chartered, formally notified Malaysia Airlines’ lawyers that it had been appointed as the legal representative for the family members of some of the crew and provided evidence that they had been retained by these families. Once a legal representative has been engaged, professional etiquette and rules of conduct dictate that contact with a party who is legally represented should ordinarily be through his or her lawyers.
Malaysia Airlines confirms that its lawyers have had discussions with the US lawyers engaged by the families of some of its crew. As a result of those discussions, certain protocols have now been agreed to enable the airline to continue to maintain direct contact with the families concerned and to provide them with the care and assistance that they need at this difficult time. As lawyers have now been retained, Malaysia Airlines is unable to comment on any legal issues in relation to these families but the airline will be informing them of what it has agreed with the family members’ lawyers.
-Ends-
Had MAS issued this 7:57 pm media statement in respond to the allegations made by the family of the crew members of MH370 that they have been abandoned, there would have been no denial from Ribbeck and the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department would have look good.
Let us examine the chronology of events before and after the said media statement of MAS.
Chronology of events before MAS media statement of 23-5-2014 at 7:57 pm :
- On 31-3-2014: Ribbeck Law Chartered has been ticked off by the learned Judge Kathy Flanagan for filing improper applications in the US Court to order MAS and Chicago based Boeing to hand over documents related to MH 370 disappearance because Ribbeck has filed similar application in two other airplane crashes. The learned Judge has warned the firm it could face “sanctions” if it happens again, HERE & HERE
- On 19-5-2014: The family members of seven missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 crew have claimed that they have been “abandoned” by MAS for seeking legal advice, HERE.
- On 19-5-2014: MAS has issued a statement stating that certain MH 370 crew member’s families had retained foreign lawyers to represent their interests. “These foreign lawyers directed that MAS cease any further direct communication with their clients, and that MAS direct all further communications regarding these crew member families to them,” it said, HERE.
- On 20-5-2014: “At no time did Ribbeck Law Chartered contact Malaysia Airlines to stop providing information regarding the search for the missing MH370 plane or to stop providing any other kind of assistance to our clients,” said Ribbeck Law Chartered attorney Monica R. Kelly, HERE.
We are now informed by the said 7:57 pm media statement of two new events with dates. They were:
- On 3-5-2014 Ribbeck Law Chartered had contacted MAS’s lawyers that it has been retained by some of the family of the crews of MH370.
- From 7 May 2014 onwards (after the closure of the Family Assistance Centre (FAC)), the airline has been updating family members with news from JACC and the Malaysian Government as and when it is made available via its caregivers and the Family Support Centre (FSC).
Firstly, in the said media statement of MAS, the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department did not state when MAS formally appointed its lawyer and/or when its lawyers and Ribbeck have the so-called “discussions” and came out with the so-called “protocols” that MAS can now communicate with the family of the crews of MH370.
Secondly, the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department saw it fit to stop at “On 3-5-2014 Ribbeck had contacted its lawyers to states that they have been retained by some of the family of the crews of MH370”. From this, it is obvious that there was no direction from Ribbeck that MAS was not to communicate with their clients, some of the family of the crew members of MH370.
It would not be unreasonable to assume that on 3-5-2014 Ribbeck did not inform MAS to “cease” communicating with their clients (i.e. family of the crew members of MH370) and/or only communicate with them directly as stated in the media statement of MAS of 19-5-2014.
Thirdly, the third paragraph of the said media statement of MAS states:
“Once a legal representative has been engaged, professional etiquette and rules of conduct dictate that contact with a party who is legally represented should ordinarily be through his or her lawyers.”
The issue of “professional etiquette” only applies to only lawyers when both parties are represented. In another words, Ribbeck and the lawyers of MAS cannot communicate directly with each other clients. However, the said Etiquette Rule does not prohibit direct communication between MAS and the family of the crew members of MH370.
Of course, they were occasions that lawyers do write to the other party to state that they have been retained and that the other party is not to communicate directly with their client. From the said 7:57 pm media statement, we can safely come to the conclusion that there was no such communication or letter from Ribbeck otherwise MAS would have produced it to support its earlier media statement.
If one were to look at the media statement of MAS on 19-5-2014, one will see that it did no cite “professional etiquette” as the reason to cease the communication with family of crew members of MH370.
The unambiguous reason cited by the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department was as follows:
“These foreign lawyers directed that MAS cease any further direct communication with their clients, and that MAS direct all further communications regarding these crew member families to them.”
The said specific reasons stated by MAS on 19-5-2014 attracted the immediate clear denial by Ribbeck as follows:
“At no time did Ribbeck Law Chartered contact Malaysia Airlines to stop providing information regarding the search for the missing MH370 plane or to stop providing any other kind of assistance to our clients.”
It is most regrettable that the top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communication Department saw it fit to attempt another spin to get out from its earlier spin. If the top management of MAS and the head of Strategic Communications Department are mindful of spinning to get out of tight spot then MAS will suffer credibility problems like what had happened to that famous Spin Guru of another airline.
Only the incompetence would resort to spinning and/or lies to get out of tight spot without supporting facts and was caught in the act.
The top management of MAS and/or its Strategic Communications Department must immediately cease to treat members of staff of MAS and Malaysians as fools. The Board of Directors of MAS must investigate into this serious matter, which involves the credibility of MAS, with the view to take serious disciplinary actions to restore whatever credibility that is left.
It would be in the best interest of MAS for the person or persons responsible for the above disinformation or spin to take the honourable step to resign to save the image of MAS and more importantly Malaysia.
wtf. all these heads must be shot fast including the chairman before the country suffered more damages.
Exactly! Bodo piang ke apa diorang ni? Dah le problem and all the negative stigma about their handling of MH370 masih belum reda, still buat silap macam ni lagi? Sengaja nak tambah problem biar MAS lingkup berabis ke apa? Bodo la.
Rumour has it that the current ceo will be replaced by the current cfo soon. Whether it will work well for mas is a giant question mark. If the current management team is retained, will mas go up in its ranking?
Yeah. as expected, all the chairman’s men.
Never appoint a Financial Man as CEO!
Dont ever appoint a sales or marketting mab the ceo either. Cfo dont want to spend money cos they are stingy. Salesman and marketting man only want to spend cos its not their money. Do pilots make a good ceo? Find a good businessman. If you can!
there is nothing good to say to all senior managements of mas
i just don’t understand know they can feed their family with the money they
earn from mas . company is suffering ,
what we can do to them is just to throw them into the cage for our new panda
to enjoy the Malaysians hospitality
An idiot appoints another idiot to do Strategic Communication. If you want to be a Spin Doctor please play the facts. But this idiot najmuddin is thinking that he is the only clear guy on earth. Another shameless idiot like Botak Azhari. No wonder MAS is in such shit because the clueless CEO appointed all the idiot to be head of department. The whole top management must be out.
The media statement of 7.57 pm was most shocking. It took MAS 4 days to come up with such a stupid statement. I do agree that when you have a brainless CEO, you will get an equally brainless head and deputy head of Strategic Communication. No wonder MAS was in such a mess in handling the missing MH370. It is about time that the deadwood and useless heads of department must be rid off at the earliest opportunity if MAS is thinking about recovery.
RECOVERY when MAS is headed by real professional. MAS does not need highly paid idiots.
“Be with a leader when he is right, stay with him when he is still right, but, leave him when he is wrong. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.” — Abraham Lincoln on ledership
The 7:57 pm statement by Strategic Communication was a clear evidence of incompetency to handle simple matter. It was based on the figment of imagination of the department. It was a shameful act that will no doubt bring MAS into disrepute. To keep Datuk Najmuddin and Nor Zalida Ahamd, who is the sister of AirAsia high ranking officer, is a waste of resources of MAS. Immediate step sack these two and the CEO for employing them.
Guys relax, these fuckheads are not clueless. They know exactly what they have been tasked to do.
Tasked to? By whom? Let’s rewind the video a bit. When did these cockless macais come into the picture. They came in exactly during the share suap. Who are they and? Their origins?
Some these bastards were on the payroll of another airline. The CEO received his stamp of approval here
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/first/193024-mas-picks-ahmad-jauhari-as-md.html
Why must pariah be informed beforehand and what optimism is he speaking about?
As for engineering, former CFO etc you guys all know the story already as to who these arseshits are.
So who will gain from all these well planned cockups and fuckups? Your guess is as good as mine. In an earlier post, Warrior 231 revealed the smoking gun, no prizes for guessing
Simply put, act clueless, when in actual fact, you are implementing a well planned strategy masterminded by a scheming bastard and his friends. After all no one will be suspicious of anything then as they can already finger the supposedly clueless ones.
Finally, what is MH 370 in all this, remember warrior 231 spoke about ‘safety’, now go figure.
I can’t agree more. These mother fu.kers must be thrown out before further damage is done. We must not allow them to get rid of MRO for the pariah.
This shameless nincompoop Head of Strategic Communication has the cheek to talk about professional etiquette when does not even understand the term. If he is educated enough, he would have tendered his resignation and disappeared from MAS. The problems with MAS is when a new CEO comes into MAS, he will bring along deadwood and give them extreme high salary and perks. This is the result. MAS had to put up with such idiot. How to recover? The first step to recovery will be when AJ and TS Md Nor pack up their bags and go away from MAS.
The top management of MAS must refrain from spinning on any issue relocating to MH370. MAS has received enough negative publicity. Those responsible for the false information must be sacked as they have spoilt the image of MAS. Whatever the decision of the useless top management of MAS, the Head and Deputy Head of Strategic communication must be sacked.
Professional Etiquette from the blundering buffoon aka Head of Non-Strategic Mis-Communication? hahaha. Good one, Anonymous.
We all know how he landed the job. After running Konsortium Logistik to the ground, the moron, a reject of Celcom, brown-nosed his way to where he is now.
4-days to rebut Ribbeck Law and that’s the best they can come up with? Learn from MAHB, how to do it. They’ve been great making the Pariah look like a fool.
This clown can’t string a sentence in English to save his life. No wonder his people are sniggering behind his back at his incompetence. Lets not even talk about the international media who were here.
Where was he at crunch-time during the daily media conferences on Malaysian 370? Entertaining the likes of June Wong and her ilk to lunch at PJ Hilton, thats where!!
Thank his lucky stars, Hisham saved his skin. Even Najib acknowledged the poor communications surrounding the entire episode.
He’s a jaguh kampung who can only “communicate” with BK Sidhu.
Md Nor and his bunch of clowns, including AJ must go! And not a moment too soon.
I never knew that this nincompoop has been hanging around with the like of BK Sidhu. No one in the right mind would waste his time with BK Sidhu especially when one is from MAS. BK Sidhu on write adverse story on MAS. She will paint a rosy picture of the low caste spin doctor and the low caste airline. She has been behaving as though she is the head of Strategic Comm.
Najmuddin is no more than nincompoop period.
Dato Najmuddin, you talked so much about etiquette, where is your etiquette after being caught lying? If you have etiquette you would have resign at the earliest opportunity. But we know you wouldn’t until you are forced out. The salary is too good. Further you never had it so good in MAS. We will make sure you are out as soon as the clueless is thrown out of MAS. MAAS needs professional not shameless idiots like you, Botak Azhari and the fat biscuit lady.