Of RBA woes and separation scheme

Dear Editor,

THIS refers to two reports "Separation Scheme: RBA staff differ" and "CEO takes blame for RBA scenario" published in The Brunei Times (January, 20, 2012).

I just don't know whether to congratulate the CEO for his bravado but judging by the resentment of affected RBA employees, the CEO has ambushed those helpless RBA employees with such an eleventh hour ultimatum. Coercion is being used to jettison RBA's financial and moral responsibilities which are the result of its self-inflicted failures.

The series of continual failures under the watch of expatriate CEOs have eventually adversely impacted our national interest and consequently, those helpless RBA employees and our national reputation, as a country which cares for its citizens' well-being.

Obviously, I repeat once again that these series of failures, according to Jo Owen in his book How To Manage and How To Lead (2012) have been the sole responsibility of those CEOs. Jo Owen asserts: "If a CEO fails to deliver the desired results, the CEO fails!" Period!

This assertion of such a failure reminds me also of this book: The Fish Rots From The Head - The Crisis in our Boardrooms: Developing The Crucial Skills of The Competent Director by Bob Garratt (1997).

Another relevant book which is just out is: People Follow You by Jeb Blount (2012).

This book describes how companies thrive when they put their people first. Poor leadership adversely affects a company's growth.

The myriad causes of these CEOs' failures are also highlighted in this book: How Companies Win - Profiting from Demand Driven Business Models No Matter What Business You're In by Rick Kash and David Calhoun (2010).

Again, compare these failures with the successes of AirAsia and the Virgin Airlines. Now, Cebu Airlines has captured part of the Brunei market. Why?

I just can't believe it that in Brunei Darussalam, a government enterprise to boot, due to these CEOs' failures, the trade-off is: To "save" RBA due to their failures, it has now become necessary to destroy those helpless RBA employees! If this "bulldozing" was inflicted by a private enterprise, the Labour and Immigration Departments would have investigated the employer.

Other countries have been fighting hard to save and create jobs. Here a CEO is allowed to crow about his callous public bravado without the slightest feeling of remorse, responsibility and accountability.

For this CEO, it is too callous to simply "take blame" when his salary, perks and position remain unscathed and enjoys his service.

A thorough forensic auditing and investigation by independent professional bodies should have been mounted on these RBA failures which have painfully inflicted hardships on its (former) employees and have tarnished our national reputation-vis-a-vis many successful private-owned airlines.Pehin Orang Kaya Lela Raja Dato Seri Laila Jasa Haji Awang Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abdul Karim

Bandar Seri Begawan