TONY FERNANDES RECEIVES CBE FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH II

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- AirAsia chief executive officer Tony
Fernandes Thursday received the Commander of the Order of the British
Empire (CBE) award from Queen Elizabeth II in London.

"I am extremely humbled to have received this award today and I would like
to thank Her Majesty The Queen for bestowing such an honour upon me.

"More than a personal honour, it will serve as a catalyst to further enhance
relations between the UK and Malaysia, particularly in the areas of business,
culture and education," he said in a statement released here.

Fernandes said the award would serve to further facilitate the promotion of
commercial and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

The award is attributed to his "services to promote commercial and
educational links" between the UK and Malaysia.

The iconic entrepreneur wears several hats, including Team Principal of Team
Lotus, Group CEO of the world’s best low cost airline AirAsia and founder of the
fledgling Malaysian-based conglomerate Tune Group.

"I received this award today not on my behalf, but on behalf of all the
incredible people I work with, wherever they may be around the world. It is
their dedication, passion, enthusiasm and hard work that drives me on every
single day and it is also my great honour to have the privilege of working with
them," he said.