Bersatu youth chief alleges ‘sabotage’ in Malaysia Airlines staff exodus, questions govt for ‘very bad deal’

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has raised concerns of internal sabotage following reports that 60 Malaysia Airlines maintenance workers resigned to join a rival company.

Wan Fayhsal criticised the government for allowing a company linked to Singapore Airlines to operate in Malaysia without restrictions on poaching Malaysia Airlines staff, according to a Free Malaysia Today report.

“How can Anwar allow this to happen? How can Loke allow this to happen?” he asked, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

The Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, confirmed it had experienced an “attrition of skilled workforce” after the media report.

MAG explained that the loss of personnel resulted from new local and international companies entering the Malaysian market.

The 60 workers who resigned reportedly joined SIA Engineering Company, an aircraft maintenance firm owned by Singapore Airlines.

MAG declined to comment further, directing inquiries to its statement from last Thursday.

In December, SIA Engineering leased two hangars at Subang Airport for 15 years to establish its third base maintenance hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

The lease was made with a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is also the sole shareholder of Malaysia Airlines.

Wan Fayhsal criticised the arrangement as “a very bad deal” and accused the government of sabotaging the national carrier.

Malaysia Airlines has recently faced technical and safety issues, leading to a reduction in flight frequencies to address these challenges.

Loke assured the public that the airline’s issues would be resolved soon, explaining that the cutback was necessary due to technical problems.

MAG managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said corrective measures are being taken “to ensure the fleet’s long-term reliability and operational robustness.”

He added that while the decision to reduce overall capacity by 20 per cent was difficult, it was necessary to put forward realistic flight schedules and maintain service standards.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaking at Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s 30th anniversary celebration yesterday, has pledged to support MAG and help the national carrier recover, stating, “We will remain committed to ensuring our airlines remain successful because it is our national airline.”