So far, no decision has been made on the offers and the government needs to carefully consider all the proposals, Dr Mahathir said. Bernama Photo
PUTRAJAYA: The government has received four offers from companies interested in taking over national carrier Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB), says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said no decision has been made on the offers yet and the government needs to carefully consider all the proposals.
“Many people have made offers, some want to buy, some want only to manage. We are looking closely at these proposals.,” he said, noting that previous turnaround initiatives on the airline, as well as its many management changes, have failed.
“So we must find somebody with the experience,” he told the media after attending the closing of the TVET Conference 2019 here today.
Dr Mahathir was asked to comment on his recent meeting with AirAsia Group Bhd co-founder Datuk Pahamin Ab Rajab.
Dr Mahathir said a number of local companies have submitted proposals to take over MAB, confident in their ability to revive it, although he noted that the ailing airline has failed to be profitable even after the appointment of several people to help turn it around.
In the meeting, Pahamin and his business partners had reportedly pledged to turn the company around in 18 months and assured there would be no job cuts. – Bernama