PETALING JAYA – Capital A (AirAsia) CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has found himself on the receiving end of mockery from various parts of the world after what seemed like a miscalculated move on his LinkedIn page.
The post of him shirtless getting a massage from a masseuse at the AirAsia Indonesia office while on a virtual management meeting call has since been deleted.
However that was not before the world reacted to the post, with international media organisations such as BBC, the Daily Mail, CNN, The Guardian, Sky News and Channel News Asia also covering the story.
Memes cropped up too, and one in particular was of Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What amused some folks was the fact that some of the news coverage of "topless Tony" had also taken the extra step of pixelating his chest.
In the now-deleted LinkedIn post, Fernandes had said that it was a stressful week and the CEO of Indonesia AirAsia, Veranita Yosephine, had suggested a massage.
“Got to love Indonesia and AirAsia culture so that I can have a massage and do a management meeting,” Fernandes said.
In a new post on LinkedIn yesterday, Fernandes acknowledged the attention he has been getting.
"Busy day. After all the attention I got and with so much positive stuff going on decided to stay at the office. Allstars did a special Outdoor BBQ for me. Fresh Ikan Bakar," he posted.
Fernandes also shared a photo of the BBQ, fully-clothed, standing over the grill pit.
"What kept us going during Covid and what's going to make us stronger is our amazing culture and spirit which again I saw yesterday with the tremendous support I continue to get through this rebuilding phase.
"We laugh, we play, we enjoy, we fight together and we win together because we are always together. Stay strong and always be positive," he said. – The Vibes, October 20, 2023
