KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — A PAS MP today suggested that a Shariah committee be included in the turnaround of Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS NewCo), claiming this would help the airline hit by two aviation disasters regain lost “blessings”.
Kuala Nerus MP Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali also questioned the appointment of Christoph R. Mueller to head the revamped airlines, insisting today that the German does not understand the need for a Shariah-compliant national carrier.
“I am worried that MAS has long lost its blessing. Therefore, make this reshuffle an opportunity to gain blessed profits. The gains will be huge and the benefit for the country will be manifold,” said the PAS Ulama wing information chief in a statement.
“It will not only depend on efficient management, but also direction, policy and business administration which are based on Islam by being Shariah-compliant, suitable with Islam as the religion of the federation.”
On Friday, state wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad announced Mueller as the chief executive officer-designate of the replacement airline in a bid to turn around the crippled national carrier’s misfortunes, much as he did with Ireland’s national carrier Aer Lingus.
According to Khairuddin, it is not enough to pick someone capable to solve MAS’s financial woes, but the new chief must possess and appreciate the aspirations of Malaysians who hold Islam as the religion of the federation.
The PAS MP also expressed his lack of confidence in Mueller’s experience in Europe, claiming that he has no experience with state-owned carriers.
“He might operate MAS by overstepping the framework agreed by us, including retaining things that do not obey the Islamic code whether through the appearance or attire of the stewardess, or serving alcohol in-flight together with including liquor charges in the ticket price.
“A national carrier should take Islamic teachings as a guideline of its service,” he claimed.
Last month, several PAS lawmakers including Temerloh MP Nasrudin Hassan and Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abd Aziz delivered the memorandum to MAS senior vice-president of strategic communications Datuk Najmudin Abdullah, at its Subang office to protest the serving of liquor.
There are growing calls for MAS to stop serving alcohol on flights and to mandate the use of headscarves for Muslim flight attendants as part of the struggling carrier’s restructuring process.
MAS will be delisted on December 15, as part of Khazanah Nasional’s privatisation of the ailing airline for yet another turnaround that was necessitated by two aviation disasters.
Already bleeding, the flag carrier’s business plummeted after it lost Flight MH370 without trace in March and had another flight, MH17, shot down over Eastern Ukraine in July.
