Hornbill Skyways boss had no aviation background, court told
The executive chairperson of Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd, Aidan Wing, told the Kuala Lumpur Industrial Court that he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to taking over the key post of accountable manager in the company.
The executive chairperson of Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd, Aidan Wing, told the Kuala Lumpur Industrial Court that he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to taking over the key post of accountable manager in the company.
Wing (right) was testifying in the case of the alleged unlawful dismissal of former general manager Mohamed Asharat Ramzan Ali who was employed by Hornbill Skyways between March 15 and July 13, 2005.
Wing, 57, who is also the Lembir assemblyperson and a former bank officer, said he once held the post of executive director of Hornbill Skyways, and still is the accountable manager of the Sarawak state-owned company.
"I agree that I do not have any aviation experience before Hornbill Skyways.
"But when I took the post of the accountable manager, the Department of Civil Aviation was informed of my qualifications. I took over the post after Asharat was sacked.
"The accountable manager's job is to ensure the smooth running and coordination of the daily operations of the company. In addition, we have an engineering and operations manager. We also have manuals pertaining to operations," he said in reply to questions from his lawyer Prakash Menon.
The executive chairperson denied that Asharat was brought into Hornbill Skyways after the company suffered two Bell 206 helicopter crashes in 2004, or that it was a requirement set by the DCA to hire an aviation professional to run the company.
Asked by Prakash whether Asharat alone could rectify the deficiencies in the company's existing system, the witness disagreed because if a helicopter had certain defects, other departments like the engineering and the safety department were involved.
"In such organisation, a person must perform as part of a team for it to function," said Wing.
Licence suspended after two copter crashes
The Lembir assemblyperson agreed that the Bell 206 licence was suspended for three months in 2004 following the two air crashes, however it did not affect the operation of other aircraft.
Asharat, 48 (left), claimed he was hired following two helicopter crashes which killed several people. He says he was dismissed after he discovered a number of questionable practices in the company.
Asharat, who has a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science in Air Transport from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, specialises in airline operations, airline and airport marketing, airport design, management and operation and aircraft accident investigation.
In an earlier testimony, Wing denied that Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud was involved in Ashrat's dismissal.
The industrial court case involves allegations of corruption and abuse of power by the Sarawak state government in the state-owned helicopter company.
Hornbill Skyways began as a private company in 1977 to service the vast interior of Sarawak.
It was taken over by the state gvernment through shares acquisition by Yayasan Sarawak and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) eight years later.
Nothing irregular
Wing also told the court there was nothing irregular in the purchase of the Bell 206 helicopter or the Citation X aircraft (right), which was supposedly investigated by Asharat in 2005.
"If the claimant (Asharat) had approached me instead of the then chairperson, I would be able to explain there was nothing irregular. The purchase was approved by the board," he said.
"Despite this, there are still rumours. The general manager (Asharat) should not question the board regarding the sales and purchase made or any other decision taken by the board.
"We are looking after the staff and company but the claimant is said to be a bit bossy, and pushy. He is supposed to help me but his action of reporting directly to the chairperson has led to miscommunication," he said.
The witness also said that Asharat's dismissal was not the result of him questioning the purchases.
Wing added that Asharat should not have sent a letter to DCA informing it that he was sacked on July 13, 2005, as that was the duty of Hornbill Skyways.
"The company did not authorise him to issue the letter as it was the company's duty to do so," he said.
The claimant had claimed that since he held the post of accountable manager, he had to inform the DCA so as he would not be blamed for future mishaps when he left.
An accountable manager is a single individual responsible to a regulatory authority (DCA) in respect of the functions subjected to regulation, and carried out by an aircraft operator.
Court chairperson limits scope
Earlier court chairperson Ahmad Rosle Mohd Sham reminded Asharat's lawyer, Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad, to confine his scope of questioning when he wanted to ask whether his client was dismissed because of the irregularities he found.
Ahmad Rosle also limited questioning on the alleged Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigation into Hornbill Skyways, ruling it was not relevant to the issue of dismissal.
Wing has alleged that Asharat was the informant, which led to the MACC moving into Hornbill Skyways.
The graft commission had apparently moved in after the former general manager was dismissed.
Hearing continues on May 3 with Asharat taking the stand.
