Tony Fernandes Gloats Over MAS Losses

Tony Fernandes (left) is not one to pass up on a golden opportunity to pillory Malaysia Airlines! 

MAS reported damning losses of RM1.17 billion ($356 million) in their 2013 financial year and this presented rival AirAsia Group chief executive officer a tempting reason to gloat!

In a series of Twitter posts, Fernandes smirked and said MAS have suffered massive losses despite government support, unlike his budget airline AirAsia. He boasted that AirAsia have been “amazing”! 

“I wonder if it's fair that Malaysia Airlines can lose so much money and protect (their) market share. Can only do that with taxpayers money”, one of his tweets declared.

Hmmm, I wonder what the bigwigs at MAS and the Government have got to say to his fast and furious tirades? 

Yesterday, I was really preoccupied with classes and a departmental meeting and I didn’t get a chance to think up a speech. I was a contestant for the AFC Toastmasters Club International Speech & Table Topics contests. Even when I had a little bit of time, I was pretty much occupied with marking my students’ mid-term test papers. 

By the time I reached Bukit Jalil, I was still without a speech. As I filled out the contest form, all I managed was a title: I am the Cockroach. But I had no speech.

When the contests proper started, my mind was running on empty. I was the third speaker and just as my name was about to be called, I finally visualized a cockroach. It just appeared in my head. 

And as I scrambled to my feet, a string of words tugged at me to get my attention – a living fossil, adaptable, indefatigable, seemingly indestructible.

That was all I had when I went up on stage to give a speech about a cockroach. 

But thankfully, I managed to pull off a decent speech and when the results were announced, I was the winner of this club-level International Speech contest. In the other contest, i.e. Table Topics, I was the first runner-up.

I should congratulate myself because I did it – for the second time. But when I think of it, it is kinda bizarre to speak off the cuff!

And next week (again), another opportunity awaits me – it's another club contest. Another challenge, another test, another speech!