'Mavcom needed to protect consumers' rights'

PETALING JAYA: Amid a slew of government agency closures to slash costs and excesses linked to the previous government, a former member of the steering committee to set up an aviation commission, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, and a 40-year industry veteran, Datuk Rashid Khan, are throwing their weight behind the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).
"I cannot emphasise enough the need for Mavcom. Consumers today are faced with a multitude of situations where their rights are violated. We need an independent entity to look out for us, " he said in a statement issued on Saturday, after the commission came under fire from Malaysian Public Transport Users Association (4PAM) president Ajit Johl, who questioned the role of Mavcom and the RM1 levy it imposes on travellers.
Calling the travelling public as the largest beneficiary of the independent commission, Abdul Gani said one of the main reasons Mavcom came into being was because of an urgent need to ensure that consumer protection and the rights of passengers were made priority and not fall through the cracks.
Abdul Gani, who is a former attorney-general, opined that the RM1 levy imposed on passengers by Mavcom when departing from a Malaysian airport is a sound investment for peace of mind. Passengers using the Rural Air Services in Sabah and Sarawak are exempted from this charge.

He explained that Mavcom offers a service which neither the Ministry of Transport nor the Malaysia Competition Commission offers, according travellers an avenue to address complaints in a timely manner.
"There is no longer a need to rely on the mercy of commercial entities or being unsure of exactly when conflicts can be resolved," he added.
Complaints have to be responded to within a set time frame of seven days and resolved within 30 days.
Rashid, who spent the bulk of his career with Malaysia Airline System Bhd, slammed 4PAM's comments against Mavcom, calling them unwarranted accusations, which showed lack of research.
"4PAM claimed that Mavcom has something to hide regarding their accounts. I googled and found Mavcom's financial statement for FY2016 in their website. Clearly, it is out there for public consumption and a simple check of Mavcom's website is all that is needed. This shows sheer negligence by this 'users association' in terms of verification of information," he said.
"Without Mavcom, we had the likes of Rayani Air and Suasa Airlines getting licences. Clearly, Mavcom is needed in order to ensure a well-regulated aviation sector that is free from political interference. As we kick off a new Malaysia, I hope the Pakatan Harapan government will see the value of an independent regulator for this industry," Rashid added.