KUALA LUMPUR: Capital A Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has called for greater transparency from SIA Engineering Co Ltd (SIAEC) regarding its recent recruitment of Malaysian Airlines Bhd's (MAS) engineering staff.

Responding to reports that only 10 per cent of SIAEC's new hires came from Malaysia Airlines, Fernandes questioned the source of the remaining 90 per cent of its workforce.

He also challenged the company to disclose more details including salaries and recruitment practices.

"It's time to be fully transparent, and for Singapore to be more open in its markets. "Where did the other 90 per cent come from? What salaries are you paying? Let's be transparent. So, are the remaining 90 per cent all school leavers?," Fernandes asked on his LinkedIn post today.

Fernandes also clarified that he supports SIAEC's presence in Malaysia, acknowledging its potential benefits for the country.

"I supported Singapore Engineering coming to Malaysia because it's good for the country, and I am a free market man," he added, noting that he has also supported other airlines such as Batik Air, SKS Airways, and MyAirlines.

However, he expressed frustration over the lack of approval for AirAsia Singapore, despite the airline's presence in five Asean countries.

"For over 10 years, we've been trying to get AirAsia Singapore approved. The people of Singapore have little choice. I even tried to buy a low-cost carrier there, but it was turned down.

"If we want an open Asean, Singapore needs to stop protecting its markets and have real competition like Malaysia and other Asean countries do," he noted.

Fernandes' comments came in response to a statement by SIAEC, the maintenance, repair and overhaul division of Singapore Airlines.

SIAEC senior vice president of base nmaintenance Jeremy Yew recently addressed concerns about the impact of their recruitment on Malaysia Airlines' recent flight disruptions.

Yew clarified that only 10 per cent of SIAEC's technical workforce in Malaysia was recruited from MAB Engineering Services, and that all hires, including those from Malaysia Airlines, went through an open recruitment process involving career fairs, job portals and LinkedIn.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2024/09/1105320/tony-fernandes-demands-sia-units-transparency-hiring-malaysia