Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific hits political turbulence with offer to Malaysian voters

Cathay Pacific has found itself drawn into the turbulence of Malaysia’s pre-election politics – after offering free ticket changes for Malaysians returning home to vote.

The move by Hong Kong’s flagship airline earned a sharp response from Malaysia’s deputy minister for home affairs and internal security, Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who tweeted he “didn’t know that regime change is part of [Cathay Pacific’s] business plan”.

Cathay denies any political motivation is behind its offer – which will allow Malaysians booked to fly on polling day to reschedule their flights without charge – saying it is merely a response to the concerns of its customers. Nevertheless, the airline has also been criticised in the Malaysian media.

Its move comes at a particularly sensitive time in Malaysian politics. For months the electorate has been playing a guessing game as to when Prime Minister Najib Razak will call the vote, the date of which still has not been confirmed but could be as soon as late April.

The vote is shaping up to be a contentious one because it pits Najib, haunted by a series of scandals since he came to power in 2009, against Mohamad Mahathir, the 92-year-old former strongman premier who was once his mentor.