AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes apologises for ‘foolish’ Malaysia election stunt
Fernandes said he buckled under pressure from former PM Najib’s government and even painted a plane the ruling party’s colours to try to appease officials
AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes on Sunday apologised for a controversial stunt endorsing scandal-tainted prime minister at the time Najib Razak before Malaysia’s general election, in which he suffered a stunning defeat.
Fernandes said he came under pressure from Najib’s government before the May 9 vote, causing him to issue a video enthusiastically crediting its policies for the success of the home-grown low-cost carrier.
But the Barisan Nasional coalition, which had ruled Malaysia for 61 years, suffered a humiliating defeat on Wednesday at the hands of an opposition alliance led by his former mentor and ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 92.
Fernandes was strongly criticised online for the stunt endorsing Najib, who has been linked to a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving Malaysian state fund 1MDB.
A photo showing Fernandes with Najib on board an AirAsia plane was widely circulated during the election campaign. That plane was painted in the blue colours of Najib’s Barisan Nasional coalition.
Fernandes even changed the uniforms of AirAsia flight attendants from red to blue during that trip.
