Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy's call to Malaysia Airlines to cooperate with its no-frills rival AirAsia, instead of pursuing its own plan to set up a budget carrier is certainly timely and appropriate.

The minister's statement comes at the height of growing rumours that Malaysia Airlines plans to explore a joint venture with other regional airlines to set up a low-cost carrier. This is totally baffling to Malaysian consumers.

As a consumer advocate, I cannot but point out that Chan is certainly right when he indicated that the national carrier should get its priorities right and work with domestic airlines instead of going on their own frolic and ego trip by initiating plans or partnerships with foreign carriers which may undermine our national interest in the long term.

MAS policymakers should be reminded that as a national carrier, Malaysia Airlines continues to fall short on customer satisfaction and neither are their productivity or returns strikingly impressive, despite government interventions and financial backup over several decades.

I trust those responsible for the policies at MAS will certainly look intensely at the minister's observations and advice, as it reflects certainly, the views of the Malaysian consumers.

MAS linking up with AirAsia is a strategic business networking prospect which will benefit the country's tourism industry by turning the country into a regional no-frills aviation hub bringing immense benefits to all.

No doubt the industry and consumers are only too aware that competition has intensified in recent months between the two, amid reports that AirAsia was keen to take over the flag carrier's domestic routes and that Subang would be developed as a low-cost hub but this should not deter a timely and strategic link up between these two home players.

The reality is while we bicker opportunities are being lost, as Singapore has made a head start announcing last month that it would build Asia's first dedicated low-cost airline terminal, which would be ready by early 2006 to cash in on the region's booming no-frills aviation industry.

As such, an early tie between MAS and AirAsia, spearheaded by the government, would benefit the long-term interest of the nation and consumers together instead of a select minority engrossed in their own agenda and world view.