MAS should be sold but not at a loss, says Idris Jala
Ranjit Singh, TMI
Putrajaya should consider selling flag carrier Malaysian Airlines System Bhd (MAS) but not at a loss, its former boss Datuk Seri Idris Jala (pic) said today.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said MAS was trading at RM6.00 when he was at the helm but currently the share price of the compay has tanked to 30 sen.
The government’s state asset manager Khazanah Nasional Bhd is the majority owner of MAS, which has posted losses for its last six quarterly results.
Idris was speaking at the Global Malaysia Series at the Securities Commission today. AirAsia group chief executive Tan Sri Tony Fernandes was also a speaker at the event.
The government should minimise its participation in business and should play the role of a facilitator to businesses rather than have direct involvement, said Fernandes.
He said Malaysian companies should be bold in going global and that AirAsia woud have been “gobbled up” by competitors if it remained inward looking and had not expanded beyond Malaysian shores.
“Malaysian companies should challenge the norm, remove structures that inhibit innovation and have a relentless quest for excellence,” added Fernandes.
