KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Hong Kong celebrity Maria Cordero is not acting as the ambassador of a purported new airline under probe by Malaysian authorities, a representative has confirmed.
According to her spokesman, the celebrity merely attended the launch of Monspace Sky Airlines as she was a friend of an individual known as "Datuk Jessy".
"Maria is not the ambassador of Monspace Sky Airlines. She is a friend of Dato Jessy and Shila.
"Datuk Jessy invited her to the launch ceremony, as a friend so she attended to the ceremony. That's all," the representative told Malay Mail Online in a brief email reply.
Entertainment outlet Galaksi Media Online had published a report on the purported launch of a "Monspace Sky Airlines" on July 22, with photos showing Cordero and local celebrity Shila Amzah pointing at a banner publicising the launch of one "Monspace Sky Airline" allegedly "operated by Suasa Air Sdn Bhd" and standing in front of an aircraft with pink livery bearing the word "www.monskyways.com".
No company with the name Monspace Sky Airlines or Suasa Air Sdn Bhd was found in Malay Mail Online's search of the Companies Commission of Malaysia's (CCM) registry.
Other photos that surfaced online showed Cordero, Shila and an individual identified as Datuk Seri Jessy Lai standing before the same aircraft that also carried the word "Monspace" and "Suasa Airlines". Datuk Seri Jessy Lai is promoted on Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd's website as the founder of a purported Mon Space Group.
Shila had on her Instagram account previously said she is an ambassador for Monspace Sky Airlines.
Malay Mail Online is currently waiting for clarification from Shila's representatives regarding her role during the event on July 22, which is also the same day when the aircraft painted in thoselivery took off from Subang to KLIA before flying to Langkawi.
Earlier this week, Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Captain Sheikh Salleh Abod explained the aircraft's livery by telling Malay Mail Online that his company had allowed its future chartered flight client Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd to have its advertisement carried on the former's aircraft.
He also said Cordero and Shila were "guests" of Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd during the July 22 demonstration flight, claiming that he has never heard of Monspace Sky Airlines.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission had this Monday said it is probing Suasa Airlines for the July 22 flight to Langkawi and lodging a police report against Monspace Sky Airlines for "misleading the public" by advertising itself as an airline when it had no licence for commercial flights.
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has also said this Monday that it will order Suasa Airlines to explain the marking on its aircraft.
Sheikh Salleh has since then insisted that Suasa Airlines did not break any laws with its July 22 flights which he said were non-commercial and approved by the DCA, while also insisting that there was nothing wrong with the "Monspace" marking on Suasa Airlines' aircraft.
Suasa Airlines, which intends to operate chartered flights, has not launched yet as it only has an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) obtained from the DCA on July 22. It said it is still waiting for an Air Service Permit from Mavcom which will allow it to begin commercial flight operations.
