KUALA LUMPUR: The government is looking into ways to resolve Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) financial conundrum with several options on the table, including shutting down the national carrier.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the matter is being discussed following heavy losses sustained by MAS since it was privatised in 2014.
He was commenting on suggestions by several experts on the need to sell or shut down MAS.
"To me it is a serious matter... to shut down the national airline.
"We will nevertheless study… whether we should shut it down, sell it off or refinance it.
"All of these are open for the government to (consider)," he said at a press conference here, today.
It was reported that half of Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s RM7.3 billion impairments registered last year were from sustaining MAS.
The country’s sovereign wealth fund recorded a pre-tax loss of RM6.3 billion last year, bogged down by higher impairments, lower dividend income and fewer divestments.
Last week, Dr Mahathir said Khazanah may have to drop some underperforming companies to save it from incurring more losses.