PETALING JAYA: The proposed merger between the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has been met with disapproval from Mavcom executive chairman Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi (pix).
He said the decision was made without consulting Mavcom and it reflects poorly on those involved in the move.
“We are all on the same side, we all have the same concerns about the state and development of the industry in Malaysia, the health of the aviation service providers, consumer welfare and investor confidence.
“There is also this urgent issue of the CAAM downgrade that needs to be addressed together,” he said.
He added that they had been informed about the proposal by the Transport Ministry (MoT) to the Cabinet, to merge Mavcom and CAAM.
Mavcom was formally established on March 1, 2016, under the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015.
Nungsari said the decision by the government to repeal the Mavcom Act means there is no need for an independent economic regulator for the aviation industry that looks into commercial licensing, competition matters as well as consumer welfare and public service obligations.
“I will work with the commissioners to put into effect a proper transition for the staff, and upon doing that, we will hand over all statutory roles and responsibilities to MoT.
“They can then affect their decision. In the meantime, we will continue to perform our role as stated in the Act,” Nungsari said.
The Transport Ministry in response to the criticism said it made the decision to rationalise the civil aviation authorities under one regulatory body to optimise human and financial resources, and also improve governance and the quality of service.
