PETALING JAYA: Difference in the work ethics between the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) is likely to cause problems when the two entities merge.
A source in the aviation industry said those at Mavcom were more familiar with the work ethics in the private sector whereas at CAAM, “it’s more like the civil service way”.
“The gap is so huge that it’s like comparing a mountain with a valley,” he told theSun.
“The two entities have huge cultural differences when it comes to work. Apart from the work ethics, they also have different academic qualifications and different levels of productivity,” the source added.
“It would be hard to see how these two would work together,” he added.
For instance, he said many in Mavcom came with high qualifications, such as Masters degrees, and it would be difficult for those working in CAAM to meet the high expectations.
“Mavcom is an economic regulator which is totally different from CAAM, which is involved more in the technical aspects of regulations,” the source said.
He also pointed out that those working at Mavcom carried out financial analyses of applications in the aviation industry, a capability that was lacking in CAAM.
The source also cautioned against assumptions that those working in Mavcom would be prepared to move to CAAM on completion of the merger.
“If these officers refuse to move, replacements will have to be found, and this would be a difficult task,” he said.
The source said it was assumed that the merger would help solve all the problems faced by CAAM, but this was unlikely to be so.
“One important responsibility Mavcom has is to ensure passengers are protected. There was no such role before it was set up.”
Transferring such responsibility to the government might not be feasible as the role required expertise in aviation, he said, adding that asking those without such experience to deal with these issues would not be fair to them and the airline passengers.
