AJ & Rashdan: What “COST CUTTING”? – Part 1

En Ahamd Jauhari Yahya (AJ) and En Mohammed Rashdan Yusof (Rashdan), the known crony and ex-BinaFikir business partner of Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, have been highlighting to MAS staff and Malaysians that MAS needed to do “COST CUTTING” to improve its “bottom line” i.e. to reduce losses.  

This was the main principle under NEW BUSINESS PLAN launched by both AJ and Rashdan, Tan Sri Mokhtar’s crony, after the agreements for the secret MAS-AirAsia share swap and so-called “Comprehensive Collaborative Framework” (CCF) was inked by Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, the MD of Khazanah and the ex-business partner of En-Mohammed Rashdan Yusoff (aka Danny) in BinaFikir Sdn Bhd.

Lets examine what their so-called “cost cutting” meant to all Malaysians except AJ and Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar’s crony, Rashdan.  Their New Business Plan was more of a spending spree and stifling the progress of MAS than improving the “bottom line” of MAS.  So far their so-called New Business Plan was all about:

• Wasting good money amounting to RM18 million to sponsor QPR , a football club owned by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes;

• Cancellation of full load Firefly flights during the recent Raya season has caused a lost of revenue;

• Termination of Firefly’s profitable routes from JB to KK and Kuching has caused a lost of revenue;

• Termination of MAS profitable route to Bandung has caused a lost of revenue;

• Termination of Firefly routes from KK to Japan, Korea and etc caused a lost revenue;

• Grounded Firefly jet aircraft escalating fixed cost with no revenue;

• Re-spraying Firefly Jet aircraft and re-configure them unnecessary expense;

• Termination of MAS routes to Dubai, Johanesburge, Beuno Aires and etc lost of connectivities;

• Moving offices to KLIA incurred unnecessary costs;

• Re-branding by way of changing colour to the MAS logo, letterheads, signage, uniform and etc incurred unnecessary costs;

• By 1-5-2012 Firefly may cease operation altogether and all Firefly staff including the pilots will be given the option to join MAS Sdn Bhd, a totally new entity;

• Employing several ex-AirAsia management staff to take over key positions in MAS like En Rozman Omar is the case in point; and

• Appointing Mat Salleh concultants like Mr Martin Burrow, PlaneConsult and etc to think for both of them incurred unnecessary costs.

At a quick glance one could see from the above that AJ and Rashdan, the Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar’s crony, have been on a spending spree. They were not done in the best interest of MAS.  Most of the exercises done by Rahdan and AJ were mostly for cosmetic purposes and, most of all, to provide more opportunities for LEAKAGES in MAS.  One need not be a genuis to come to the conclusion that the ultimate objective of the so-called COST CUTTING was to stifle the progress of MAS and without realising that it will bring MAS to its knees.

Why both of them are not thinking of improving operating revenue which will in turn improve the profit positions of MAS and thereby reducing losses?  By cost cutting alone will not bring MAS back to its former glory or back on its feet again.

Why aren’t AJ and Rashdan, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar’s crony, think positively to improve the financial position and to bring MAS back to its former glory? After all both AJ and Rashdan have been paid fat salaries with all the perks.  Yet Rashdan needed the Mat Salleh consultants to think for him.

Have both AJ and Rashdan joined the infamous “Panamera Deadwood” in MAS?

To be continued in my next posting on the same subject matter from London.