The Penang government is willing to offer assistance to the 6,000 Malaysian Airlines (MAS) employees who will be axed as part of the company’s restructuring move.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said that his administration was very concerned about the unfortunate workers, and he offered them his sympathies and solidarity.

Lim ( photo ) said he would be revealing more about the state’s effort to offer assistance to the retrenched workers when “there is more clarity” about the matter.

Lim added that Penang - especially its hospitality industry - can absorb the workers if their skills and qualification were suitable.

“Many of them have worked for years, and have carried the flag high for Malaysia. Their contribution should be respected,” Lim said.

On May 26, Human Resources Minister Richard Riot Jaem said the government will assist the retrenched workers.

He was quoted as saying so in Bernama which reported that the service of 20,000 MAS employees would be terminated but two-thirds would be rehired by a new airline.

According to Bernama , the exercise is said to ease the migration of the existing operations of MAS into a new company, MAS Bhd, which will begin operations on Sept 1.

Poor management of MAS

Lim said the retrenchment is due to the poor and wrong management of the company, but the workers have to bear the outcome.

“We have heard horror stories of the exorbitant fees for some of the company’s services like its airline catering and other stuff,” added the DAP secretary-general.

The company should reveal what led to their losses instead of punishing the workers, he stressed.

Lim said the company’s losses were mostly due to the poor management and wrong decisions by highly paid staff and consultants.

He added that these categories of employees would surely be given a “golden handshake” when they are retrenched.

“We hope that the rights of the lower workers would also be protected,” he said.