MAS posts RM527m loss in Q2, doesn’t expect profit for 2011

August 23, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today announced a net loss of RM527 million for the second quarter of 2011 due to higher fuel costs despite recording a better yield and a 9 per cent growth in passenger revenue from the same period last year.

This brings total losses in the first half of the year to RM769 million even as the airline said that profit outlook for the second half of the year appears bleak. 

Its main regional competitor Singapore Airlines, while also hit by higher fuel costs fared better with a S$44.7 million (RM108 million) net profit for the same period.

The flag carrier said its group total revenues increased to RM3.485 billion for the second quarter of 2011, or eight per cent more than the RM3.213 billion for the same quarter last year, while passenger revenue was RM2.086 billion for the same period this year compared to RM1.912 billion for the corresponding period in 2010.

"The airline's aggressive and consistent cost-control measures also yielded positive results, with a two per cent reduction in non-fuel-related expenses for 2Q 2011 compared to the same quarter for 2010," the airline said in a statement.

"The Board of Malaysia Airlines does not anticipate to make a profit for the 2nd half of 2011, although the anticipated losses will not be as severe as the first half of 2011," it added.

MAS suffered a net loss of RM242.3 million in the first quarter ended March 31, making it a total loss of RM769.3 million for the first half of the current financial year.

The MAS board had earlier cancelled a press conference to announce the results for what is its traditionally weakest business period. It posted a net loss of RM534.7 million for the second quarter of 2010.

The statement said fuel costs "continued to have the greatest impact to the group's operations, increasing by 41 per cent from RM1.102 billion for 2Q 2010, to RM1.550 billion for 2Q 2011."

The MAS board, meanwhile, will focus on finding strong leadership to steer the airline and is looking to fill the managing director, CEO and key senior management positions.

Other immediate initiatives will include capacity management, dynamic pricing to improve yields, a review of products and brand positioning and a review of Firefly's business to focus on its turbo-prop operations out of Subang.

"The management team shall have a serious review of its current network moving forward, and shall adjust deployed capacity accordingly," said MAS.

The airline will however continue with its fleet renewal exercise and has taken delivery of five new B737-800 aircraft and five new A330-300 aircraft as at mid-August 2011.

The first new A330 Freighter will be delivered in September 2011 and six more aircraft will be delivered in 2011 — two B737-800s, two A330 Freighters and two ATR72s. Beyond 2011, MAS has a firm order of 38 B737-800s, 10 A330s, six A380s and two A330 Freighters.

The national airline has been flying through turbulent skies the past decade after the government bought back the airline from former corporate high-flyer Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli at RM8 per share or about double the market price at the time.

MAS also suffered the indignity of having its market capitalisation surpassed by younger upstart AirAsia after its share price fell to record lows earlier this year.

In an attempt to bolster the fortunes of the flag carrier, state asset manager Khazanah Nasional Berhad swapped 20.5 per cent of MAS stock for a 10 per cent stake in Asia's biggest budget carrier AirAsia on August 9. The swap enabled AirAsia bosses Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and his partner Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Meranun to sit on the MAS board and will ostensibly help turn it around.

LIMA `09 MELABUH TIRAI DENGAN KEJAYAAN MEMBERANGSANGKAN

Oleh: Wan Mohammed Saupee, 15 Disember 2009

Langkawi, 1 – 5 Disember 2009: Pameran Udara dan Maritim Antarabangsa Langkawi 2009 (LIMA `09) baru sahaja melabuhkan tirai dengan mencatat kejayaan yang membanggakan. Pameran LIMA `09 yang diadakan selama 5 hari dari 1 – 5 Disember 2009 di Pulau Langkawi telah dirasmikan oleh Y.B. Menteri Pertahanan Dato' Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Pameran LIMA `09 melibatkan komponen aeroangkasa dan komponen maritim. Pusat Pameran Antarabangsa Mahsuri (MIEC) menjadi tempat bagi pameran serta penyertaan pempamer produk-produk aeroangkasa. Manakala pameran kapal-kapal perang dan demonstrasi bot diadakan di Awana Porto Malai.

 

LIMA `09 merupakan siri yang ke-10 berjaya menarik penyertaan 325 syarikat daripada 25 negara. Sebanyak 120 syarikat tempatan mengambil bahagian dalam pameran LIMA `09. Lebih membanggakan ialah syarikat Malaysia kumpulan NADI (National Aerospace and Defence Industries Sdn. Bhd.) muncul sebagai pempamer terbesar dalam LIMA `09 tersebut. Antara syarikat-syarikat pertahanan utama dunia yang menyertai LIMA `09 ialah EADS, BAE Systems, Finmeccanica, Rosoboronexport, Eurocopter, Thales, DCNS Group, manakala syarikat-syarikat tempatan antaranya ialah Airod, Boustead Naval Shipyard, CTRM, Sapura, System Consultancy Services, Zetro Services, Satang Jaya, Heitech Padu dan Malaysia Airlines System.

 

Kejayaan penganjuran LIMA `09 dibuktikan apabila merekodkan transaksi urusniaga berjumlah RM4.70 bilion dalam bentuk kontrak dan memorandum persefahaman (MoU) telah ditandatangani. "Jumlah ini adalah angka yang mengkagumkan memandangkan keadaan ekonomi global sekarang" kata Dato' Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi merujuk kepada kelembapan ekonomi dunia masa kini.

 

Y.A.B. Perdana Menteri Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak semasa sidang akbar selepas menyaksikan majlis menandatangani kontrak dan MoU antara syarikat pertahanan dan Kerajaan melahirkan rasa puas hati dan berbangga atas kejayaan LIMA `09 yang masih berupaya menarik penyertaan yang menggalakkan daripada syarikat-syarikat industri pertahanan antarabangsa dan tempatan. Beliau juga turut menyatakan LIMA `09 adalah yang terbesar dari segi jumlah penyertaan pesawat dan kapal iaitu 54 kapal terbang dan helikopter serta 99 kapal. Antara negara-negara asing yang menghantar pesawat dan kapal perang ke LIMA `09 ialah Singapura, Thailand, Filipina, Amerika Syarikat, Australia, Korea Selatan dan Pakistan.

 

Acara tarikan utama LIMA '09 yang tidak pernah ketinggalan ialah pertunjukan udara di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Langkawi dan demonstrasi mencari dan menyelamat melibatkan bot laju dan helikopter di jeti Awana Porto Malai. Orang ramai telah dipertontonkan dengan aksi-aksi aerobatik yang mendebarkan daripada jet-jet Sukhoi SU-30MKM, MiG-29, Pilatus PC-7 Mk II dan Aermacchi MB-339CM oleh juruterbang daripada Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM). Pameran ini juga memperlihatkan penampilan sulung Tentera Udara Diraja Singapura (RSAF) dengan jet penyerang Falcon F-16 dan helikopter tempur Apache Longbow AH-64D dengan aksi hebat menggegarkan ruang udara Langkawi. Kapal selam pertama negara KD Tunku Abdul Rahman turut memperlihatkan wajah sulungnya kepada awam di jeti Star Cruise, Awana Porto Malai selain daripada aksi-aksi hebat daripada pasukan khas Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) dan Agensi Penguatkuasa Maritim Malaysia (APMM) dalam demonstrasi menawan musuh dan menyelamat mangsa di laut. Demonstrasi terbang pesawat tanpa pemandu (UAV) juga tidak ketinggalan di mana syarikat CTRM dan Sapura menampilkan UAV masing-masing. Buat pertama kali juga orang ramai berpeluang menyaksikan pesawat pengebom jarak jauh milik Tentera Udara Amerika Syarikat B-52 dari dekat apabila pesawat tersebut membuat terbang lintas pada ketinggian rendah semasa hari pertama LIMA`09.

 

Sepanjang 5 hari LIMA `09 berlangsung telah berjaya menarik 38,000 pelawat perdagangan dan 40,000 pelawat awam sepanjang pameran berlangsung. Pameran aeroangkasa hanya dibuka kepada pelawat awam pada 5 Disember 2009 dengan yuran masuk RM10.00. Sementara itu, kelainan LIMA `09 kali ini ialah orang awam dibenarkan menyaksikan pameran segmen maritim melibatkan kapal-kapal dan demonstrasi bot di Awana Porto Malai secara percuma dari 1 – 5 Disember 2009. Orang ramai dilihat berpusu-pusu ke MIEC untuk melihat dari dekat kapal terbang, helikopter dan jet pejuang serta tidak ketinggalan kapal selam negara KD Tunku Abdul Rahman di Awana Porto Malai.

 

Bagi pihak Kementerian Pertahanan, Bahagian Industri Pertahanan selaku urusetia Jawatankuasa Penyelaras Induk bagi penganjuran LIMA `09 ingin merakamkan jutaan terima kasih dan penghargaan kepada semua warga awam dan tentera di Kementerian Pertahanan serta agensi-agensi Kerajaan baik di peringkat Persekutuan dan Negeri atas segala kerjasama yang diberikan dalam menjayakan LIMA `09 dengan lancar. Hasilnya LIMA `09 telah mencatatkan satu lagi kejayaan kepada negara dalam penganjuran pameran pertahanan antarabangsa dan mengekalkan status sebagai pameran udara dan maritim terulung di rantau ini.

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Negotiation: How To Get What You Want

The art of negotiation can be tricky skill to master. It takes effort, practice, intelligence and a considerably high level og self-control.

Learning the how-to's of effective negotiation can help you can large sums of money, a great job with a corner office or a great deal on a new car.

Lerning how to negotiation for what and how much you want can lead you to many great things in life, but it takes a dedicated student to master this. Here are four (4) effective negotiation techniques and strategies:

Be Prepared

One of the most important strategies when entering negotiations is to show respect both during the course of discussion and through ample and thorough preparation work.

Showing up at a negotiation well-prepared, with all of the facts, figures and data that you require to make a strong case for your point of view, will not only help influence your counterpart, it will also demonstrate that you value his time and participation, and that you have put consideraable forethought into your planning.

Define Your Goals

Before entering any negotiation, whether it is to close a deal, discuss salary or purchase a car, clearly and effectively define to yourself your goals for the negotiation, and delineate what you want to get out of it.

This way, you will be able to keep your eyes on the price and not allow your counterpart to distract you.

Be Flexible

The Japanese parable of the strength of a trees brance applies to the art of negotiation as well. The parable says that a branch that bends can withstand great force, while a branch that is rigid and inflexible snaps in the slightest breeze.

As part of your preparation work, plan out all the areas where you can safely yield your position to your couterpart. This will not only make you seem magninamous and will to deal, it will likely foster enough goodwill in your counterpart to convince him to "trade" something of his that you will want.

Avoid Theatrics

We have all seen those movies where the though-as-nails negotiatior enters the room, refuses to budge an inch, and unleashes an angry outburst that scares the other party and convinces him to give up everything.

That negotiation strategy doesn't always work in the real world. Such techniques only lead to a swift end to negotiations and no one gets anything. Calmness is a good negotiation skill to develop in the boardroom. -- Source: ST/ANN

Artcile by Joshua Uebergang, The Star, Tuesday 16 August 2011

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Kenapa Saya Memilih PTD Sebagai Kerjaya?

Oleh: Wan Mohammed Saupee bin Wan Yusoff

Semasa mula-mula memasuki alam pekerjaan (pada April, 1998) saya memilih untuk bekerja di syarikat swasta. Walau bagaimanapun, matlamat kerja akhir saya ialah menjadi kakitangan kerajaan sekurang-kurangnya bermula pada umur 35 tahun. Namun, tawaran jawatan Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik (PTD) datang lebih awal (pada Disember 2002, umur 28 tahun) dan saya berkeputusan untuk menerima tawaran ini di atas pertimbangan-pertimbangan berikut:-

1. Saya percaya PTD menawarkan peluang kemajuan kerjaya yang lebih cerah dan besar berbanding sektor swasta.

2. Kepelbagaian sifat dan jenis kerja atau tugasan di sektor awam.

3. Berpeluang bergaul dengan semua orang dari kakitangan awam, swasta dan masyarakat.

4. Berpeluang melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi dan
ditanggung oleh kerajaan.

5. Kepercayaan bahawa jawatan di dalam kerajaan mempunyai kuasa yang besar yang akan digunakan untuk memperbaiki kelemahan-kelemahan yang ada dalam sistem pentadbiran awam terutama penyalahgunaan kuasa dan pecah amanah.

6. Kestabilan kerjaya dalam jangka panjang.

Berdasarkan kepada pertimbangan-pertimbangan di atas, saya telah meletak jawatan yang dipegang di syarikat swasta untuk menjadi PTD walaupun terpaksa mengorbankan gaji, senioriti dan faedah-faedah yang saya sedang nikmati pada masa itu. Walau bagaimanapun, saya tetap yakin bahawa saya akan berjaya suatu hari kelak dengan usaha dan komitmen saya untuk menjadi pegawai PTD yang cemerlang dan unggul demi agama, bangsa dan negara.

* Penulis menulis artikel ini pada tahun 2003 sebagai tugasan untuk majalah Sidang A & B semasa berkursus DPA di Intan, Bukit Kiara. Intipati artikel adalah berdasarkan nota ringkas saya semasa berkursus PTD Unggul di Intan, Kluang, Johor pada Januari 2003.

EXCLUSIVE:  Most of the readers will not miss to read the article below. A very insightful words written by a PTD on How to become a PTD, How a PTD thinks, speaks, teamwork, leads and handling the pressures. A must read if you are interested in becoming a respectable PTD!

PTD aspirants WAJIB/MUST read this PTD The Premier Service and Glamour Civil Servant

Connecting With Your Listeners

According to survesy, public speaking is the number one fear of managers around the world while the fear of death is number seven.

The truth, of course, is that wile everybody experiences some degree of nervousness before presenting, speaking in publis is a skill, and anything that is defined as a skill means it can be developed through training and constant practice.

I have been running presentation skills workshops across Asia for many years. During every workshop, I ask the participants to analyse why people have this increadible fear of making a presentation.

While I recognise some explanations are valid, for example, making a presentstion when my boss and the senior management team are present, the majority of the fears are actually not based on fact, but often on individual perceptions that do not stand p to scrutiny.

To help plan an effective, efficient and engaging presentation, follow the POST model, a four step approach to do a quick overview of a presentation.

1. Purpose

Are you trying to inform, persuade or inspire your audience? Each pupose will shape the nature and style of the presentation.

2. Objectives

Estalish what you want the audience to know. Remember every membe of the audience is consciously or unconsciously listening to "radio station WIIFM", so fulfil the WIIFM principle. Tell them "What's in it for me" as early as possible.

3. Select

Select possible topics or points based on the area of focus.

4. Tools

What supporting tools will you use? It could be the powerpoint slides, video clips, and handouts.

Having a plan allows you to structure the presentation. Most presentations start with an introduction that must grab the audience's attention within the first few minutes. Start with a starting statement: use a quotation, arresting graphics or music, or share an anecdote.

Next comes the body. There are many ways to structure the main body. For instance, it could use logicsl progression or a list of points. It could compare or contrast. It could follow a time sequence such as the past, present and future. You can also zoom in geographically, from global, regional and local.

Finally, finish with a conclusion. Review, highlight and emphasise the key points, benefits and recommendations you have made.

Refer to the opening remarks in the introduction and usually make a call to action - what do you want the audience to do next.

You owe your audience and yourself a good presentation, and creating an effectivr presenation takes planning and practice. Here are some tips for you to follow:

* Prepae early. Don' wait until the last few days to prepare, and ensure you practise the entire presenation, including powerpoints slides. Think about your audience - who they are and why they are here.

* Be clar about you purpose. If you are informing or persuading, the technique is simple. Tell them what you have to say and sound spontaneous, conversational and most important of all, enthusiastic.

* Use body language effctively. When you are presenting, the audience will perceive what they ae seeing and hearing through the three main componens of communication. These are the actual words you use, the way you use the words and your non-verbal or body language. Remember, your words account for only 5 to 7 percent of the dommunication process. The way you say them accounts for 35 to 38 percent, and the rest goes to body language. In other words, body language accounts for nearly 60 percent of your communication! What you say is important, but how you say carries more weight.

* Use humour with caution. Humour is a double-edge sword and takes great skills and experience to get it right. On the other hand, everybody loves the story, so use stories based on personal experience to illustrate points or liven up the presentation.

In summary, prepare, practise and connect with your audience. Remember your energy and enthusiasm ae infectious. Know your material, research and prepare for questions.

Ensure your presentation meets the "three Es" test, Efficient, Effective and Engaging. Manage your time well, keep your material simple, use your body, voice and eyes effectively and most of all, enjoy yourself. - Source: ST/ANN

Article by Chris Fenney, dirctor and co-foundef of Training Edge International. The Star, 22 February 2011.