President loses it after being served nuts on national airline
Posted on September 11th, 2018
In an extraordinary outburst, President Maithripala Sirisena complained he was served second-rate cashews on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to Colombo, Sri Lanka last week.
The BBC reported Mr Sirisena launched his tirade while speaking at a farmers’ event in southern Sri Lanka on Monday.
“When I returned from Nepal, they served some cashew nuts on the plane [that], let alone humans, even dogs can’t eat,” he told the farmers, according to the BBC.
“Who approves these things? Who approved the cashew? Who is responsible for this?”
It was unclear what about the offending cashews angered the leader. Sri Lankan Airlines is yet to comment on his outburst.But it’s another mark against the beleaguered national airline, which is about $1.4 billion in debt and has been on the hunt for a new equity partner amid warnings it was dragging down Sri Lanka’s economy.
A potential United States partner withdrew in May last year, prompting the government to call for fresh expressions of interest to save the struggling carrier.
Sri Lankan Airlines has also been dealt accusations of corruption and currently being investigated by a special presidential commission of inquiry.
But Mr Sirisena’s outburst about cashews is not the first time a high-profile passenger has had a nut-rage meltdown.
Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah, who is also the daughter of the airline’s chairman, famously threw a mid-air tantrum in 2014 when she was served macadamia nuts in a packet instead of a bowl.
The incident happened on a Korean Air flight from New York to Seoul while Ms Cho was vice president of in-flight service.
She was also accused of physically assaulting the chief steward, who said she made him kneel and beg for forgiveness while she jabbed him with a service manual.
Ms Cho spent three months in prison following the “nut scandal” incident that made headlines around the world.
She, along with her sister Emily, who was the airline’s senior vice president, were sacked from their positions this year, with their father Cho Yang-ho publicly apologising to “all Koreans” for his daughters’ bratty behaviour.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:23 pm
Sirisena should have had the good sense to sort this issue internally without vilifying the national carrier publicly. He has done irreparable damage to the once very highly rated service record of the Sri Lankan. He is a snake while in Colombo and a fox in lion’s clothing when in a remote corner of the island.
This shows that he has no fear or shame left to do any dirty deed if only to promote his ego. From the time he entered the office and took the oath of office as the President of Sri Lanka, what shameful things he has done are without precedent.
He went on to appoint a PM with no majority in the parliament and that too without even letting the incumbent know that he has been replaced.Then he went on to replace the Chief Justice in the same fashion.
He literally looked the other while Ranil took the Central Bank under his authority, appoint a foreigner as the Governor of the Central Bank and allowed two Bank Scams to take place while taking all precautions to let them escape firstly due legal scrutiny and then let the clutches of the law and due process. He initiated a Presidential Commission and yet allow the main culprit in hand escape.
The local mastermind Ranil who provided all the background, guidelines and resources for the daylight robbery is still a free man.
During his tenure of office so far he has done everything possible under the sun to denigrate our nation, our Ranaviruwoes, our honor, Buddhism and Buddhist priests, our national anthem and flag.
Whenever he goes overseas he is a disgrace to our nation. As Sri Lankans we are ashamed to have this imbecile for our President.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:29 pm
Sirisena deserves the same treatment Ms Cho was given – 3 months in prison with no right to appeal.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
He is even no fit to be a Grama Sevaka.
He is good for a Kasala Shodaka.
He is nothing but a scavenger.
I totally agree with Ratanapala, this fellow is a disgrace to the nation.
September 11th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Sirisena is a nut case.
Are these cashews Sri Lankan?