So sleeping on the job is a Malaysian culture?

Mueller can’t understand our work culture, Nufam says after ‘sleeping’ claim

Odin Tajué: This is a good example why many Malaysian entities fail.

First point. Nufam is the national union of flight attendants – obviously those employed by Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Therefore, its spokesperson ought to comment only on matters relating to MAS flight attendants. He should not comment on matters relating to other classes of MAS workers.

Second point. The spokesperson should have understood that outgoing Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller did not say that all MAS workers or all MAS flight attendants had had the habit of sleeping on the job.

Mueller said many of the staff members had nothing to do, that he had caught some sleeping in the hangars. ‘Some’ does not mean ‘all’.

Those most likely to be found in hangars would not be flight attendants but technicians, maintenance crew and such. Nor did he say that those caught sleeping had been sleeping from the time they arrived till it was time for them to go home.

Third point. Most know that MAS was bloated. When you have more employees than needed, then many of them have nothing much to do. Basic logic tells us that.

Most know that a lot of goods and services have been supplied to MAS at higher-than-normal rates. Everyone, or at least most, knows the main reason that is so.

All this is why MAS has been losing money year after year. It is hitting rock bottom, while its twin, Singapore Airlines (SIA), has rocketed to the financial stratosphere.

Pat88: Nufam, do not take “sleeping” in its pejorative sense. Mueller means that people were not productive because too many MAS personnel were assigned to the same job.

As you may know surely, only one person was working while others were resting.

SSDhaliwal: It is allowed for cabin crew to take scheduled naps while on long haul flights exceeding 12 hours, but sleeping in hangars in plain sight? I think it might even be dangerous.

Headhunter: “Sleeping on the job” is not an option with any employer anywhere in the world and MAS is no exception. It’s a symptom of weak management, poor supervision, staff indiscipline and overstaffing.

And it’s certainly is not a good reflection of Malaysian workers’ attitude towards work ethics and responsibilities. Nufam should ask SIA if they tolerate such situation.

The Observer: Nufam is right about our work culture. Whether it is close one eye or close two eyes, everyone is asleep. Even the ministers, civil servants and the police are all sleeping on the job.

Otherwise, how do you explain the RM12 million ransom/donation being paid and the authorities were clueless about it, the Chinese vessels intruding into our seas, the pirate-infested waters off Sabah, the MAS plane diverting its course and the civil aviation and defence authorities failed to track it.

And the 1MDB scandal, in which the authorities don’t know where the money has gone.

Anonymous 1890491455255851: Well, it’s no wonder Mueller has decided enough is enough. Many wondered how long he would be able to tolerate this ‘culture’.

GE14Now!: Nufam is essentially saying that it is part of the culture of the people who work in the country to fall asleep on the job (I guess what Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was doing was just practicing the culture of the country when he was PM).

It is a known fact that the country is unproductive because a certain sector of entitled workers (entitled because it is so difficult to fire them as government policies protect that particular group of people). These often live by the ‘tidak apa’ mentality.

Culling 6,000 jobs should have been just the start. But Mueller’s job was never going to be easy with ‘rent-free for Malays’, ‘whack you’-type MPs sabotaging his every move.

Determined Sarawakian: A lot of these government-linked companies (GLCs) are overstaffed and as such many of the workers have too much free time.

Ever saw a group of Public Works Department (PWD) and Telekom repairmen hunched over a single assignment and only one person doing the job and the others are either entertaining the repairer or trying to be learned apprentices.

Mueller is right, many of the workers are just redundant. But that’s the only way to give jobs to the people.

Google’s work culture, which include being able to nap or play billiards and work when inspired, etc, but theirs is a performance-orientated culture, which means they must perform or asked to leave.

The big question is whether this ‘sleeping on the job’ culture at MAS also performance-oriented? If yes, why MAS still suffers heavy losses despite numerous bailouts? Further, how does staff-company size ratio compare with other airlines?

Gaji Buta: Yes, Mueller does not understand. This is exactly why there are GLCs – to hire such people who are not wanted by the private sectors. How else will they be able to earn a living? Everyone has to eat.

Our government may wish to appear as compassionate for many reasons. Whether it leads our nation or companies to bankruptcy is another matter.

But this is not culture. It is a disease.

LaveAGreatDay: Nufam is right, Mueller. The government bureaucracy is bloated because at least three civil servants are required to do the work of one at the counter service.

One to submit your form to; this goes to two, who will take it to the relevant officer; and three, to decide who to send the file to for action.

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