PD POLLS | Anwar Ibrahim has defended AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes who had come under attack by Malaysians when he painted a company plane in BN-blue prior to May 9 general election.

Anwar told voters that they should no longer be angry at Fernandes over the move as the latter was only doing what was good for business.

"The people here know Tony Fernandes, he used to support former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. It is okay, he is (merely) a businessperson," he said in a ceramah held at Linggi attended by 350 people last night. 

Addressing the crowd, Anwar praised Fernandes' business acumen but added that the latter was not as good when it came to dealing with politics. 

"I told him that next time you listen to your big brother, you just focus on your business, leave politics to me. 

"Do not be angry (with him) because his expertise is business, thus was able to uplift AirAsia as the world's most famous carrier," he said. 

Anwar's statement came a day after Fernandes announced that his carrier will promote Port Dickson as a tourist destination. 

In a posting on his LinkedIn account on Wednesday, the AirAsia CEO called Port Dickson a "raw diamond" and said his company aimed to turn it into a transit destination for passengers, in the same vein as what Emirates had done for Dubai.

"Its (Port Dickson) vicinity to Kuala Lumpur International Airport makes it a potential to be the Jumeirah Beach (Dubai) of Malaysia, particularly for transiting passengers. 

"Seeing that we carry more passengers than Emirates who have turned Dubai into a successful stopover destination, we aim to do the same with Port Dickson. 

"The role it will play to elevate the local communities through the tourism multiplier effect will be substantial," he posted.

Fernandes had, following BN's loss in the 14th general election, released an apology video for ferrying then premier Najib aboard a BN-themed flight, which including a blue AirAsia plane and air stewards dressed in blue instead on the airline's signature red prior to the polls.

He explained that he had "buckled" under pressure from the previous government after the airlines had provided affordable flights on election day May 9.