I refer to the article Let AirAsia and MAS battle it out .

How do you ensure AirAsia does not cancel flights that are not full (profitable) and bunch them up with the next flight? They do this all the time and many travelers can attest to this practice.

Unfortunately, there are no consumer protection agencies in Malaysia to curtail this. And the government closes an eye.

And everyone raves about AirAsia being well-run and profitable. Anyone can make an airline profitable if they only fly full flights.