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Malay Mail Online
Dr M started MAS death spiral, Kit Siang says after ex-PM’s ‘stupid’ jibe
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s privatisation of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and his appointment of Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli to head the effort, are to blame for the flag carrier’s slump that forced the government to name a German to head its revival, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today.
According to Lim, MAS had been a “very profitable” carrier that made billions in profits in the 1980s but suffered from Dr Mahathir’s disastrous plan and choice of management, as he criticised the former prime minister’s tongue-in-cheek comment about Malaysians being too “stupid” to manage aviation.
“Mahathir must have suffered another attack of his infamous and selective amnesia as not to realise that he was also condemning himself for his role and responsibility for the gargantuan losses and travails suffered by MAS, producing a most extraordinary rendition of ‘the pot calling the kettle black’,” Lim said in a statement here.
The MAS privatisation deal saw Tajudin, whom Lim labelled as a “fake Towering Malaysian”, taking out a RM1.79 billion loan in 1994 to buy a 32 per cent majority stake in the airline.
Tajudin, who was affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, later sold his stake in MAS to Putrajaya for RM1.79 billion — or RM8 a share — the same amount that he paid in 2001; the company’s closing share price at that time was RM3.68.
In the years since, MAS has undergone three business turnarounds at an estimated cost of nearly RM20 billion to the government.
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Dr Mahathir, “Malaysians are stupid. They don’t know how to manage aviation.”
Lim Guan Eng, “In fact, it is BN and not Malaysians who is stupid, by relying on racism to cloak incompetent cronies instead of spotting talented Malaysians right before their very eyes such as the AirAsia team of Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranon and Azran Osman Rani.”
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11:23AM Dec 7, 2014
Guan Eng: MAS flopped as BN stupid, not M’sians
The success of private airline AirAsia is proof that Malaysians aren’t the ones incompetent at managing aviation, but BN is the one at fault said DAP.
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Lim, who is Bagan MP, said it was BN that is stupid as Malaysian Airlines (MAS) had failed despite the vast amount of government funds it has received, unlike AirAsia that has succeeded without any government assistance.
“The success of AirAsia is well-known internationally.
“Without a single cent in government support and subsidies, they have transformed the airline industry by offering affordable fares where ‘everyone can fly’.
“In fact, it is BN and not Malaysians who is stupid, by relying on racism to cloak incompetent cronies instead of spotting talented Malaysians right before their very eyes such as the AirAsia team of Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranon and Azran Osman Rani,” he said.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/282718
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Malaysiakini
12:26PM Dec 6, 2014
MAS failed because M’sians stupid, says ex-PM
“Malaysians are stupid. They don’t know how to manage aviation.”
These were the comments made by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over Christoph R Mueller’s appointment as chief executive officer-designate of Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS NewCo).
Mahathir said that because Malaysians do not know how to manage aviation, that was the reason why the company had incurred losses.
“And now those responsible for the losses try to make things right,” he told reporters at a Proton event in Kuala Lumpur today.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/282669
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weehingthong 
What if Air Asia failed?
Tony Fernandes “stupid”?(Sorry,Tony,no bad intention). I am sad a prominent leader called his people stupid. A leader who criticised his people do not love his people. A leader who loves his people should help his people when they are in trouble,like Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak.
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