YOURSAY | ‘AirAsia as a public-listed entity must stay neutral and apolitical.’

AirAsia's dubious support for BN

Flying Blind: Firstly, hopefully, it was caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's plan for this last-minute public relations (PR) push with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, and that it was not one of Fernandes’ own volition.

All the best airlines never indulge in politics: did Cathay Pacific support any candidate in Hong Kong’s elections, or did Qantas support parties on either the left or right?

In fact, as public support is crucial for an airline's business survival, any action that the public sees as ill-mannered or socially unacceptable, like the Korean Air “nut rage” incident, will have very serious consequences for the airline.

Secondly, the twinning of politics with business, especially of the very visible and high-flying kind, will be like “playing with fire”.

Business competition guru Michael Porter has warned that any business that tries to elicit business advantage from its political connections is bound to be only a short-term “success”, and the reasons are obvious.

Political parties change, and, especially for an airline, your political advantages don't matter an iota, outside your home country.

So, don't spoil or damage any of your real competitive advantages or strengths by engaging in damaging political PR.

Lcf: This is from AirAsia's Code of Conduct, under Section 1.4.11, titled “What about political activity?”:

“Political activities are okay – but only if done outside of AirAsia, and in our own time and not in the capacity of an AirAsia staff.

“AirAsia does not give support to political parties, either through direct financial support or paid working time. And you shall not let your involvement in such political activities create issues or embarrassment to AirAsia."

One code for the boss, another for his minions?

Have A Great Day: Fernandes is, I believe, a shrewd businessperson. He is hedging his bets - Malaysian Official 1 (MO1), if he remains in power, can be expected to be of enormous benefit to Fernandes' profits for his oft-stated “I help you, you help me” tagline.

Fernandes also knows AirAsia is fulfilling its tagline of “Now everyone can fly” for a lot of rakyat because of its lower fares to many destinations as compared to the full-service airlines. There really are not many competitors for the rakyat to choose from.

No, I have nothing against Fernandes' actions - perhaps he has seen the example of that Supermax boss.

Ah-hah!!!: Perhaps Fernandes does actually wholeheartedly believe that Najib is a heaven-sent prime minister who must simply be returned for the good of the nation and every Malaysian.

But it is apparent that many are asking if it boils down to a simple point - just a question of business.

Anonymous_181b5f04: At the end of the day we also need to remember the promise AirAsia made to people - ensuring that everyone can fly.

And today, millions are able to afford to do so. Despite everything that is happening, I'm sure they are trying their best to ensure we all can continue to fly. Good luck to all, and happy voting.

Anonymous_1371825132: On the one hand, we are up in arms whenever our rights are trampled, we rave and rant about dictatorial policies; we take offence when our voice is not heard; we talk about freedom of speech, and the list goes on.

If Fernandes wants to take Najib for a ride (pun not intended), that is his right and his business.

Lily: Fernandes, as a businessperson and a citizen of Malaysia, has the right to endorse any ideology or political inclination of his choice, because it is our right in a democratic society.

However, AirAsia as a public-listed entity must stay neutral and apolitical.

Najib returns to KL in 'Hebatkan Negaraku' AirAsia jet

Chin17: Fernandes, Malaysia is a democratic country and I respect your right to vote for who you think is best for the country.

The Najib government may have done a lot for AirAsia’s growth over the years, and you have every right to be thankful to him.

However, this is the election season. You are a public figure. Every word you say will be taken as an endorsement for Najib’s continued leadership of the country.

To see an AirAsia plane painted in BN’s colours and your flight attendants wearing dark blue is tough for me to swallow.

There are so many things wrong with our country today. I am not going to repeat them here - I think you’d know them better than I do. But to endorse him now will mean endorsing everything that is wrong with our country today.

You are a very successful entrepreneur and your future generations have their future secured. Bear in mind, though, that there are not many that are as capable as you are. We need a strong and clean government to ensure a bright future for our kids, and we are not getting that from Najib.

You were once someone I truly respected. Today, you have lost one of your supporters. AirAsia used to be my default airline whenever I wanted to travel. I will not be foolish enough to call for a boycott of AirAsia, and neither will I tell you that I will never fly AirAsia again.

But AirAsia will no longer be my first choice. I will only fly AirAsia as a last resort. I am well aware I won’t affect your business in any way, but I just want you to know that I am truly disappointed with you.

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