Captain Izham a good choice due to his vast experience - Idris Jala

The appointment of Captain Izham Ismail as the Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Malaysia Airlines Bhd is a good choice because of his vast experience.

President and CEO of Pemandu Associates Sdn Bhd, Datuk Seri Idris Jala said Izham, who has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation sector, is well-versed in the industry and well-respected by pilots and his peers.

"Captain Izham is a good man. When I was the CEO of MAS (Malaysian Airline System Bhd), he was the head of our initiative to reduce fuel consumption.

"He is an energetic guy, who is data-driven, very practical and has the urgency for the world. I was very impressed with him. We hope that he can really make a difference here," he said to reporters on the sidelines of the Youth Economic Forum 2017 here, on Saturday.

When asked whether Izham could help in the revamp of Malaysia Airlines after taking over from Peter Bellew, Idris said, "you have to wait and see.

"The fact is that the board has identified him and named him as the CEO, they must be confident about this.

"After all, he is the current COO (Chief Operating Officer), he is already operating as the number two man after Peter Bellew, so looking at the announcement it is quite clear that they are grooming him to become the CEO."

Idris also said the allegation of the government and Khazanah Nasional Bhd's interference in Malaysia Airlines was no longer an issue as Khazanah had issued a statement and Bellew himself had already clarified the matter.

- BERNAMA