A letter I wrote on the recent appointment of the Malaysia Airlines chairperson was sent to the New Straits Times and The Star , but it was not published. I append below, what I have written:

A great man once said that a good leader is one who is able to delegate but it is not simply a question of mere delegating. Delegation is an art, if not it would have been a simple task. In this respect, the choice of candidate, the calibre, the qualification and other vital rsum would have to be considered before the choice is made. Therefore a good leader who appoints the right person based on his judgment will eventually find that the task delegated will be a success. And this will reflect indirectly on the success of the leader as he is able to accomplish his goals by merely delegating the right man for the right job.

In this connection it is sad to say that our leaders, past or present have not been able to master the art of delegating. If they had, there would not have been such fiasco in the management of BMF, BBMB, Perwaja Steel and a host of other failed institutions.

In the recent appointment of Azizan Zainal Abidin as Malaysia Airlines chairperson, it appears quite evident that the choice indeed was a poor one. This is not to imply his lack of qualification for the job but more to do with his involvement with two other huge corporations which similarly deserve his undivided attention. If, indeed, as mentioned, his role was more of a ceremonial one, then why not appoint Ahmad the ordinary fisherman, or Ismail the teacher?

They probably need the remuneration paid for the job more than Azizan who is already being paid a hefty sum for his two other positions. A national carrier like MAS requires someone who can devote his full attention and this is something Azizan cannot do.

The pertinent question before us is whether there is a dearth of candidates for the job. If the answer is in the affirmative, then the time has come for the relevant authorities to look across racial lines to scout for the right candidate.

The success of the national carrier is of paramount importance and should transcend other prejudicial considerations.