Headline A LIFELINE IN AID OF MAS, AN ICONIC AIRLINE

MediaTitle New Straits Times

Date 27 Jul 2019 Language English
Circulation 36,278 Readership 108,834
Section Local News Page No 1,6
ArticleSize 1667 cm² Journalist HANA NAZ HARUN
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‘SAVE OUR KITE’ APPEAL
A LIFELINE IN
AID OF MAS, AN
ICONIC AIRLINE
Crowdfunding campaign will seek public
donations, big or small, as a show of
solidarity to Malaysia Airlines, says Yasmin
HANA NAZ HARUN
KUALA LUMPUR
news@nst.com.my
A
BRAND expert has
made a plea for
Malaysians to rally be-
hind the country’s na-
tional carrier, Malaysia Airlines
Bhd (MAS).
Datin Yasmin Merican, a brand
and marketing professional with
extensive experience in the
building of brands in the country
and internationally, said MAS
was a national icon that had a
special place in the hearts of
m a ny M a l ay s i a n s , w h e t h e r
young or old.
“This airline is beyond com-
merce. Inadvertently as the flag
carrier, it is the country’s ambas-
sador on wings and no matter
who ultimately owns it, we will
continue to feel that MAS belongs
to us and we to them.
“With the wau bulan or kite as a
symbol of our cultural identity
since 1972, Malaysia Airlines not
only defined who we were, but
also how we wanted to be per-
ceived as a uniquely dynamic
and multicultural nation,” she
told the New Straits Times yes-
terday.
To show the country’s love
and support for the airline, she
proposed a crowdfunding cam-
paign for MAS, in a people’s ef-
fort to contribute towards the
rebuilding of what Malaysians
had painstakingly created to-
gether.
The “Save Our Kite” appeal, she
added, would seek support big or
small from the public as a show of
solidarity to the airline and its
dutiful employees who contin-
ued to serve with professional-
ism, determination and pride.
“In times of triumph and sor-
row, MAS is always there to rep-
resent our national ownership
and collective values. It’s perhaps
late but let’s give MAS one last
show of support. It’s not so much
about how much we can raise to
jumpstart the airline’s recovery,
A LIFELINE IN AID OF MAS, AN ICONIC AIRLINE
New Straits Times
27 Jul 2019
36,278
Local News
1667 cm²
RM 172,389
but more to demonstrate what
‘Malaysia’ really means to all of
us.”
In 1997, Yasmin became Ernst &
Young Malaysia’s first female
partner, subsequently seconded
to the firm’s Asia Pacific consult-
ing practice in global marketing
and customer management
She was behind the branding of
many of Malaysia’s strategic
brands such as Telekom Malaysia
Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Petro-
liam Nasional Bhd’s Mach 5 and
Sprinta motor oils, and Caltex Oil
Malaysia’s Techron Unleaded, to
name a few.
On March 1, 2014, Yasmin was
hired as MAS’ brand adviser just
days before the MH370 tragedy.
“It was a life-changing experi-
ence and a difficult crisis for ev-
eryone.
“There were calls for the airline
to start over, and people were
telling us that MAS had no future.
I was asked to consider changing
the identity of the airline but felt
that the strongest equity the air-
Malaysia Airlines is a national icon that has a special place in the hearts of many Malaysians, whether
young or old. PIC BY AHMAD IRHAM MOHD NOOR
Language
Readership
Page No
Journalist
Brand and marketing professional Datin Yasmin Merican is proposing a crowdfunding campaign for
people to show their love and support for Malaysia Airlines. PIC BY MOHD YUSNI ARIFFIN
line had and continues to have is
the goodwill it has earned with
the people of Malaysia.”
She said as the world continued
to debate the market effects of
preserving or changing the air-
l i n e’ s b r a n d i d e n t i t y p o s t-
MH370, and MH17, what re-
mained critical was the speed at
which the airline reconnected
with stakeholders at home and
abroad.
She also said while MAS’ poor
financial performance had long
been featured, the story of the
unwavering sense of pride and
English
108,834
1,6
HANA NAZ HARUN
duty upheld by generations of
employees since October 1972
should be told.
“MAS is a truly Malaysian
brand, with many Malaysians in-
volved in the formation of the
airline, including second prime
minister Tun Abdul Razak Hus-
sein.”
The name “MAS” (Malaysian
Airlines System), she explained,
was given by Razak, which was
abbreviated to mean “gold”.
Yasmin said the symbolic kite,
commissioned to Datuk Johan
Ariff of Johan Design Associates,
remained as the airline’s most
identifiable emblem.
“With the origins of the wau
bulan going back many cen-
turies, it was felt during the air-
line’s formation that those un-
acquainted with the country
would be attracted to this symbol
of graceful and controlled flight,
operational values which MAS
expresses to this day.
“Through the good and bad
times, MAS is able to transcend
the challenges of its ‘backstage’
performance to consistently re-
tain the gleam of an outstanding
‘onstage’ world-class service.”
She added that MAS had always
been the best promoter of
Malaysia, and became the first
commercial enterprise apart
from Tourism Malaysia to pro-
mote the country’s distinctive
culture to the world.
Citing an example, Yasmin said
the Golden Kite Festival, held at
every new MAS destination back
then, promoted Malaysian cul-
ture, music and performing arts.
Yasmin said although commer-
cial viability was imperative for a
national airline, it should not
negate the importance of what
Malaysians had built together in
advancing their cultural pres-
ence as a nation.
“A brand has texture… a depth
of experience and a richness in
history, and that’s what MAS is to
many Malaysians.
“This airline is something
worth saving for all of us as a
nation, and for us to continue
hearing selamat pulang (wel-
come back) each time we return.”
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