I wish to refer to the Malaysiakini article, AirAsia: Its like going to the Moon.

Yes, Tony Fernandes and AirAsia has every right to be in a jubilant mood after having obtained the rights to fly the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore route. After all, it is a goldmine route previously the monopoly of MAS (Malaysia Airlines System).

But why the sudden change of mind to give this lucrative route to AirAsia when the logical decision would be to allow the status quo to remain and let MAS reap the profits while it is on its path to recovery?

The answer can be found by referring to the ECM Libra and government-linked company Avenue Capital Resources merger. Prior to the merger, ECM Libra's Kalimullah Hassan helped Khairy Jamaluddin (PM's son-in law) to buy a block of shares in the company and lo and behold, one month later ECM Libra sealed the deal with cash-rich Avenue. Of course, someone at the Finance Ministry had approve the deal, and guess who it was?

If we were to recall, a few months earlier, Kalimullah bought a stake in AirAsia. A month later, a smiling Fernandes, gushing with pride, announced to the world that the granting of the Singapore route was like "AirAsia going to the moon".

And why not? It was manna from heaven for AirAsia. MAS CEO Idris Jala could not conceal his disappointment and who could blame him? It was a lucrative and profitable route which MAS previously had monopoly, and now it was to be shared with AirAsia.

Perhaps it would be appropriate to ask the prime minister why the interest of the country's own airline was sacrificed and why a public-owned airline was given a share of the lucrative route?

The ECM Libra Avenue and the AirAsia episode seems to reveal a very ingenious and systematic plundering of our nation's wealth by our leaders. Well done, PM. I didn't know you could do this while sleeping on your job. Perhaps I was wrong.