BN's decision to appoint former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to chair its advisory board is a regressive move, former coalition secretary-general Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said today.

Nazri, who was known as a vocal Najib loyalist, said the appointment would not be good for Umno.

"I think it is regressive," he told reporters when met at Parliament lobby.

"We (BN) lost under whom? What kind of advice he can give us?" 

"Maybe we want to make a statement tell the prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) 'What can you do to us?'" he quipped.

Read more: 'Give him a chance' - Opposition leader says of Najib's new gig

Yesterday, Najib was appointed as the BN advisory board chairperson.

His appointment came less than two weeks after Ahmad Zahid Hamidi resumed his duties as Umno president and BN chairperson.

Najib is facing 42 charges of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust while Zahid faces 87 graft-related charges.

Meanwhile, Nazri suggested Malaysia Airlines Bhd change its name as the national carrier's current name is synonymous with negativity as one plane was shot down while another went missing.

"People keep the (airline's) name because of goodwill. But with one plane went missing while the other shot down, so change its name lah," he said.

Nazri was commenting on the government's effort to save the national carrier.

"Anything you do now will be good because MAS has hit rock bottom and cannot fall further than that. So it will bounce back, just do whatever is needed," he said.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said MAS is working with its owner Khazanah Nasional Bhd to formulate a strategy going forward.

He said all options are on the table, including the possibility of MAS being taken over and having the 'Malaysia' dropped from its name.

The national carrier was recording losses even before the disappearance of Flight MH370 and the subsequent shooting down of Flight MH17.

In 2014, it unveiled a five-year recovery plan to turn around the company to return to profit by 2018.

Najib appointed as chair of BN advisory board

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