The letter MAS: In the red but still going on joyrides refers.

Actually, as far as the oil price hikes are concerned, MAS failed to sufficiently hedge its fuel costs, and this does not entirely point to a lack of operational efficiency. Other airlines who did hedge for oil prices suffered lower losses.

I would say that this would be the fault of the MAS chief financial officer rather than its managing director.

Secondly, the sponsoring of sporting events are in fact a cost efficient method of advertising as there are tax deductions involved which decreases the cost of the marketing budget.

As there is competition for MAS in the form of AirAsia and other international flight providers, marketing and product placement are crucial tools for maintaining market share and product image.

If you ask me, sponsoring a sporting event is an excellent and cost effective way to market your product.

I am not arguing that MAS is not poorly run. What I am saying is that its issues need to be looked beyond the surface level.