Mahathir:This Is "My Way"

Hantu Laut

I am not a member of UMNO or any political party, nor am I a supporter of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

I used to admire our former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad for some of the good things he had done to this country.A man who is truly an embodiment of 'the end justifies the means'.He would do what he feels strongly about even at the expense of personal liberty of others, so long as he gets his way.A man you either love or hate.A man who wouldn't give up a fight and will take it to the end, right or wrong.

His falling out with the present Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi over the shelving of some of his grandiose projects have now reached the end of the road and one that can culminate to a destructive political conflicts that will put UMNO to the test again, to stay united under Abdullah or split down the middle for the two men.The last time it happened was the power struggle between Tengku Razaleigh and him that ended up UMNO being declared an unlawful society by the court and the breaking up of the party and emergence of a breakaway party, Semangat 46 under Razaleigh and the reincarnation of UMNO under him.

At the time there were no other strong oppositions prevailing to challenge the ruling coalition.Now,the opportunistic Anwar and his Pakatan Rakyat are waiting in the wings to seize any opportunity to take over the government.

After a long period of frustrating campaign to remove Abdullah from office of prime minister, Mahathir has not gotten any where nearer his goal.Provoking Najib to stage a coup has not worked either.Calling Najib a coward to spur him to take on Abdullah has not brought him the desired result.The man is now at his wits end on what to do or deal with his burning desire to get rid of the man whom he personally chose as his successor and prime minister of this nation.

If his intention is to arouse senior party members to act against Abdullah and bring him down as prime minister and president of the party, it may disappoint him again as all those at the top would have a lot to lose, personally, if UMNO loses its grip on power.At this point of time the grassroots in the party is irrelevant, only the BN members of parliament can remove him as prime minister, or a mixture of BN and PR members if there were insufficient numbers from the BN that are prepared to be disloyal to him.To think a spontaneous revolt in the party would materialise is like clutching at the straws, it wouldn't happen.

Mahathir is not a man who would be prepared to eat the humble pie and accepts the fact that he is equally responsible and to blame for his poor judgement of Abdullah's character, or was it his selection of Abdullah was based on his assumption that Abdullah is of a complaint nature and will obey him, which fits well into his agenda for the continuation of all his pet projects, or did he expects Abdullah to be grateful for the appointment and would do every thing he says?

Being a prime minister for 22 years Mahathir should know the democratic process more than anyone else in this country.He should know that Abdullah was duly elected by the people and should be allowed to serve his time.He should only be removed by a democratic process in an election or a vote of no confidence against his leadership in parliament.

It appears that Mahathir has failed his gift of the gab and is now prepared to throw down the gauntlet even at the expense of destroying UMNO to get rid of Abdullah and put Najib at the helm.His clarion call for senior party leaders, ministers and deputy ministers to leave UMNO is execrable and undignified.

Although I don't subscribe to Abdullah's style of leadership, I still believe we should allow the democratic process to take its course.

Mahathir resignation from UMNO is a strategy to weaken Abdullah's already vulnerable position and starts a revolt in the party. Is he likely to succeed in his attempt to get UMNO senior leaders to follow him? Can Abdullah take the risk of calling a fresh election?

Mahathir is not short of controversies, this is the second time he is out of UMNO, the first was in 1969 when he was sacked from the party for going against the first Prime Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman.His tussle for the UMNO presidency against Tengku Razaleigh in 1987 divided the party.His conflict with his deputy Musa Hitam ended with Musa resignation as deputy prime minister.The sacking of another deputy, Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 culminated in massive street demonstrations in the capital city and the sending of Anwar to prison on charges of corruption and sodomy.

Most of the top leaders may not pay attention to the call of the clarion but at the middle and grassroots level the story may differ from the top.A fresh election is an option too risky to take at this moment.

The good question now is would Mukhriz follows in his father's footstep?If he does, that would be one less MP for UMNO and the BN.

Mana Ada System

Hantu Laut

Many of you probably think there is something wrong with me or I am mad to oppose MAS low fare in my previous post 'MAS:Now A Cheapo Airline".

I don't.I opposed the way it was done.

Most Malaysians would be happy to have alternative cheap fares, so am I.

I am not looking at it from that point of view.I am looking at it from the point of business ethic, unfair competition and inconsistent government policies.

When MAS was in financial trouble the rogue businessman Tajuddin Ramli, who headed the company and owned substantial shares in it managed to convince former PM Mahathir Mohammed to take back the embattled airline.One of the main reasons given why MAS lost so much money was due to its domestic operations where government has control over the pricing of fare.

Major portion of domestic networks are in Sabah and Sarawak, which means the two states are the biggest contributor to MAS losses, which is now proven to be a lie and a whitewash.

Sabahan and Sarawakians spent more time and money travelling by air than by roads due to bad conditions of the roads in the states.

Most of the federal-funded roads are badly maintained and dangerous for those not familiar with its topography.

Most of MAS losses were due to mismanagement and without any doubts cronyism and nepotism in giving out contracts to friends and relatives. You would probably still remember when nasi lemak cost the airline RM60 or RM70 per plate.

In the re-organisation of MAS, the government decided to give the domestic sector to Air Asia and MAS to concentrate on its international routes.As usual our fickle-minded government, say something and do something else.

Typical of civil servant mentality, MAS insisted and was allowed to retain the lucrative domestic routes, which as irony as it sounds,are all in East Malaysia which was earlier blamed for the losses.If this is a losing sector why fight tooth and nail to keep it?

In fact MAS gave up very little of its domestic sector.

It flies parallel with Air Asia on all major domestic routes except those with very low load factor, which was given to Air Asia under its subsidiary company.This was later handed back to MAS due to high maintenance costs of the old air crafts taken over by Air Asia from MAS.

Even under unfair competition,volatile and overcrowded market and rising operational costs,Air Asia,through its pragmatism, innovation and aggressive marketing policy managed to turn a one-plane airline to what it is today, the most successful low cost carrier in this region.

Unlike SIA, our national carrier is an infant that refused to grow up and needs breast feeding every now and then.It's incapable of launching new products for the travelling public.It only prides itself over it cabin service in 1st and business class even if it comes at a very high cost.

Instead of competing with the likes of SIA,Cathay and other major premier airlines, it takes the easy way out, become a copycat, copy and compete with the very same airline it copied the concept from, a fledgling airline that doesn't have government crutches to prop it up in the event of financial difficulties.

Like many Malaysians I would be very happy to have more choices of cheaper fare but I think it is wrong for the government to allow MAS to sell zero fare tickets on the same plane used by its full-fare passengers.

If MAS needs to do it ,it should have used one of its subsidiaries,MASWings or Firefly to be a low-cost carrier and compete on the same level playing field.

Many would think Idris Jala is smart,I would say he is void of ideas and our politicians void of convictions.

MAS: Now A Cheapo Airline

Hantu Laut

I strongly believe in free enterprise and healthy competition.You can't call it a competition anymore when the playing field is not level and your opponent hit you below the belt and the referee allows it.

The airline business is now a cut-throat business due to high operational costs andtoo many players in the market.Those with good business sense, innovative and good foresight will succeed while those who do not care to innovate, fear competition and in some cases sit on a pile of government subsidies would eventually sees its own demise.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is today operating its first all-business class service, between its Singapore base and New York-Newark in the USA.

Flight SQ22 departed Singapore at 11:00 today and the Airbus A340-500 is due to arrive in Newark at 17:50 local time.

The carrier announced in March that it planned to switch the A340-500s to an all-business class operation seating just 100 passengers in a 1-2-1 layout. It said the change was being made as a result of higher demand from business travellers for the non-stop US services.

That's Singapore Airline.Let see where our national carrier is taking us to.

Malaysia Airlines is offering 1 million free domestic fares this month to promote its new Everyday Low Fares program, which MD and CEO Idris Jala said "will redefine the rules in the travel industry" if successful. MAS's effort to compete against low-fare giant AirAsia will feature nonrefundable one-way fares of MYR76 ($24) and MYR120 between East and West Malaysia excluding airport taxes and surcharges and will be available online at least 30 days prior to departure. Jala said there will be no loss in revenue, as the fares represent 30% of surplus seats that otherwise would go unsold.

The zero fare quoted by MAS and in comparison with AirAsia are shown below:

AirAsia (RM) MAS 0-Fare Carrier (RM)
Airport Tax + Fuel Surcharge
+ Insurance + Admin Fee 44.50 76.00
Promo Fare* 15 0
Baggage Fee** 3 0
You Pay RM 62.50 RM 76.00


Total fare:Air Asia RM62.50 MAS RM76.00

Even with minimal fare added plus baggage fee Air Asia is still cheaper than MAS.

That's besides the point.What is MAS doing competing with low-cost carrier when it has been decided it should concentrate, improve and expand its international routes and compete with such airlines as SIA,Cathay Pacific and other premier airlines.

It is hard to reconcile putting a passenger who pays say RM1058.00 to fly KK-KL return and his next seat neighbour who pays RM76.00 and get the same service and the same lousy lunch box(usually sold on non-frills airlines)in the economy class.MAS quality of food has deteriorated so much on it domestic sector even those sold on non-frills airline taste better and cheaper.

The excuse that those 30 percent of seat would be unsold anyway goes to show the airline are run by lazy people who would rather be copycats and degrade the airline status rather than taking concerted effort to promote a competitive fare and services than most full-fledged airline should be doing to attract more costumers.



The video above shows some of the surprises you can get on some of MAS planes.

The airline always seems to be getting some sort of awards especially for its in flight services more in it first and business class on international flights and certain sectors rather than a reflection of it overall quality of service.It has also one of the highest air fare in this region.

The normal domestic fare has skyrocketed.The normal return fare KK-Labuan,flight time of less than 30 minutes is now RM350.00.The normal economy fare between KK-KL and return is as shown below.

Flight From/To Time Super Saver Flex Saver Full Flex
MH2601 Kota Kinabalu
Kuala Lumpur International Airport Wed, 21 May
07:20
10:50 Sold Out MYR 329.00 MYR 529.00

Flight From/To Time Super Saver Flex Saver Full Flex
MH2604 Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kota Kinabalu Sun, 25 May
07:30
10:05 Sold Out MYR 329.00 MYR 529.00

The return economy fare KK-KL-KK worked out to be RM1058.00.

The fare below is what my wife paid to AirAsia for her flight from Phnom Penh to KL.

Flight
1 Guest60.00 US Administration Fee 9.00 US Fuel Surcharge 20.00 US Sub Total 89.00 US
Services & Fees 1 x Xpress Boarding 2.00 US 1 x Checked Baggage 2.00 US
Sub Total 4.00 US Total Amount 93.00 US

From KL to KK

Flight 1 Guest 55.00 MY Airport Tax 6.00 MY Administration Fee 22.50 MY Fuel Surcharge 43.00 MY Sub Total 126.50 MY Services & Fees GoInsure 6.00 MY 1 x Xpress Boarding 5.00 MY 1 x Checked Baggage 6.00 MY Sub Total 17.00 MY Total Amount 143.50 MY



The total one way journey costs her RM437.50.

With such high fare it is little wonder that MAS load factor is lower than it should have been if the fare have been more competitively priced.

In the past MAS complained that most of it losses were from the domestic sector and it was supposed to give up its domestic sector in entirety.

Now, we know that was a lie and a whitewash.If that was true, why are they still keeping the domestic routes and fly parallel with Air Asia on most domestic flights.

You don't need a wiz kid to run MAS, you just need someone with the brain in the right place.

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat said the current price war between MAS and Air Asia is a healthy competition which will benefit the nation.

That's one big bullshit.It's not healthy competition, it's unfair competition.You either no-frills or full-frills and should learn to be honorable and stick to the original agreement.

Come on MAS, you want to be a cheapo or a full-fledged airline?

'Genocide Olympic' by whose version?

Hantu Laut

Janjaweed = Devils on Horseback"

Janjaweed. Literal translation = devils on horseback.

I have removed my link with "mia farrow.org". I don't agree with her recent action of asking the Western countries to boycott the Olympic Game in Beijing and to pressure the Chinese government to divest its economic activities in Sudan in relation to the Darfur crisis.

Her action is typical of American hegemonic policy, smack of double standard and without any basis other than trying to further American monopolistic control over the world crude oil trade.

I have been and still is a strong advocate of 'Save Darfur' campaign, as can be seen from my many previous posts, to bring awareness to the rest of the world of the genocide in Darfur.I appreciated her work in that respect.

As an individual she has done more than most countries and other individuals to bring to the world attention the human tragedy happening in Darfur and the Sudanese government participation in the genocide.

Even today as women,children and men are systematically slaughtered, raped and driven away from their land, the world stood still and did nothing to stop this execrable human tragedy.

The countries that have the resources to stop or lessen the atrocities would be America and her allies, Britain and the Western European countries.None have done anything significant to stop the Sudanese government from using the Janjaweed militia to commit such atrocities.

American and her allies, in defiance of UN Resolution, have conducted an illegal war on Afghanistan and Iraq that killed hundred of thousands of innocent people in the two countries that have no means of defending themselves against the military might of the Western alliance, but wouldn't lift a finger to exert military pressure on the Sudanese government that have already killed more than 500,000 of its own people.

I believe Mia Farrow had fallen victim to politicians with an agenda and being used by those in the corridors of power to try subvert China's rising economic power and growing importance as a global player in the world's market.

PetroChina, the biggest oil producer in Sudan is targeted by Western media and made as scapegoat for the atrocities.One of the major investor in PetroChina is Fidelity Investment, an American company.Despite months of engagement and thousands of complaints, Fidelity has thus far refused to accept any responsibility or divest its investment.Another American hypocrisy!

In February Steven Spielberg resigned from his role as artistic director of the Beijing Olympics declaring that in the face of genocide it "cannot be business as usual."Another American hypocrisy!

Below is an article written by Ronan Farrow and Mia Farrow and published in the Wall Street Journal on March 28,2007 calling the Beijing Olympic "Genocide Olympic".

The 'Genocide Olympics'

By RONAN FARROW and MIA FARROW

"One World, One Dream" is China's slogan for its 2008 Olympics. But there is one nightmare that China shouldn't be allowed to sweep under the rug. That nightmare is Darfur, where more than 400,000 people have been killed and more than two-and-a-half million driven from flaming villages by the Chinese-backed government of Sudan.

That so many corporate sponsors want the world to look away from that atrocity during the games is bad enough. But equally disappointing is the decision of artists like director Steven Spielberg -- who quietly visited China this month as he prepares to help stage the Olympic ceremonies -- to sanitize Beijing's image. Is Mr. Spielberg, who in 1994 founded the Shoah Foundation to record the testimony of survivors of the holocaust, aware that China is bankrolling Darfur's genocide?

China is pouring billions of dollars into Sudan. Beijing purchases an overwhelming majority of Sudan's annual oil exports and state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. -- an official partner of the upcoming Olympic Games -- owns the largest shares in each of Sudan's two major oil consortia. The Sudanese government uses as much as 80% of proceeds from those sales to fund its brutal Janjaweed proxy militia and purchase their instruments of destruction: bombers, assault helicopters, armored vehicles and small arms, most of them of Chinese manufacture. Airstrips constructed and operated by the Chinese have been used to launch bombing campaigns on villages. And China has used its veto power on the U.N. Security Council to repeatedly obstruct efforts by the U.S. and the U.K. to introduce peacekeepers to curtail the slaughter. Read more....

The article is lop-sided, grand-standing, sardonic and smell of a rat.

China is not my friend and it is neither the best example of preserver of human rights and what I wrote here might not make any difference to people like Mia Farrow and her conscience, but it's a revelation of the truth and the way I feel about this whole charade of sanctimoniousness and high moral principles.

Related articles:
China's Crude Conscience
Olympic Sponsor Report card. Most flunk.