I lost my trust with Malaysian Airlines (MAS) last Thursday. To some, you may say it is long overdue, but it was not until I went through a bitter experience myself. I was scheduled to board the 7:50am flight to Kota Bharu to chair a meeting involving a few agencies, both government and private. On paper, the timing looked good as my meeting was at 10am and I planned to return to Kuala Lumpur on the same day.

When I tried to do the self check-in at KLIA, I had a problem. But to my pleasure, I was quickly attended by a ground staff who later told me that my flight was cancelled due to ‘technical problems’. She told me that I could board the 10am flight, but I told her that there was point of me going there anymore, as the earliest I would reach the meeting was around 11.30am.

I would rather allow my junior team members who have been there a day earlier to take care of the meeting. I told her that I wanted my trip to be cancelled, but since I was travelling on the government’s warrant, I was worried about the financial consequences later. Hence, she directed me to the MAS ticket office where I told the officer that I wanted to cancel my trip and that my organisation was to get a full refund.

However, the officer told me that my organisation would still be charged of RM100 if I wanted to cancel the trip to which I strongly objected to. I told him it was grossly unfair for MAS to benefit from taxpayers’ money due to its own fault. Since the officer insisted that ‘it’s a procedure”, I requested to meet someone at a higher level who could make a decision and hence he directed to me to see a duty manager.

When I presented my case to the duty manager, he immediately apologised and convinced me that the RM100 cancellation fees could be waived. He penned a note, signed and chopped on my e-ticket.

Then we continued chatting and I asked him about the frequencies of these ‘technical problems’ to which his sincere answer really surprised me. ‘Yes, they announced that it’s a technical problem, but the loading [to Kota Bharu this morning] is only 26 [passengers]”.

If the duty manager was right – and I am sure he’ll get into trouble for telling me that – I am at a loss for words. It’s hard for me to believe that MAS, a big company with a big brand, has betrayed my trust. It is not only betraying me, but everyone who for whatever reasons had booked their first flight to Kota Bharu last Thursday.

And if these cheating had happened before in order to save the company from economic losses due to a lack of passengers, I am sure it is a betrayal that no victim can be apologise to. I am sad that I felt betrayed and hence lost my trust in MAS, a national carrier and national pride which all this while proudly hid behind the powerful punch words of ‘Malaysian Hospitality’.

MAS’ action in cancelling the flight was very costly for me and my organisation (and others as well since I am in the business of saving lives) and there is no amount of advertisement or public relations that it can do to regain its customers’ trust. For customers, once beaten, many times shy.