Govt can’t keep bailing out Malaysia Airlines: PM

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reacts to a question during a press conference in Parliament July 10, 2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 10, 2019, MalayMail. The prime minister made it clear today that the federal government will not always bail out Malaysia Airlines. At the same time, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Putrajaya has a duty to the troubled carrier, reported the MalayMail.

“The government doesn’t want to be bailing out MAS so many times but at the same time, we must have a say,” he told a news conference in Parliament, referring to the airline by its old moniker.

He said the government may not hold the majority stake in the company, but needs to “preserve some government role”.

He then gave an assurance that the government will evaluate the options to find the best solution.

“We have changed the management of the airline many times. Everyone promises that they will turn around the airline but in the end, they all fail.

“This time around, we don’t want to give without really studying the capability of the people who may want to take over the airline,” he said.

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