Time for a shareholder reshuffle at MAS

THE fate of embattled Malaysia Airlines (MAS), clouded further in recent months by the missing MH370 jet, hinges on the very thing that has eluded the carrier's turnaround for over a decade: unswerving political will.

At no time in the history of the airline, which has struggled to fortify its waning operational benchmarks, has that conviction been stronger than now.

Said Shukor Yusof, an independent airline analyst: "MAS needs political will and gumption to get its act together."

MAS's biggest headaches - such as a bloated workforce led by a formidable yet inertia-stricken union and lopsided procurement contracts dished out to cronies - are legacy issues.

The carrier's countless turnaround plans to date have side-stepped these concerns which are deemed far too delicate, owing to a …