LETTERS: With reference to the article published by the New Straits Times on Nov 15 titled “How we lost our head in civil aviation”, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) would like to provide clarification.
The commission was established on March 1, 2016 under the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 (Act 771), as an independent regulatory body to regulate the economic aspect of the civil aviation industry in Malaysia, including the protection of consumer rights.
The Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM), on the other hand, is an independent body, established under the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia Act 2017 (Act 788) to oversee the technical and safety matters for Malaysia’s civil aviation industry.
The statement in the article states that “Aerodromes are secure installation, but they are under the supervision of MAVCOM, which, by inference from the act that establishes it, does not have the necessary technical expertise to evaluate aerodromes… How can they regulate aerodromes when they do not have the expertise to do so?”
The commission wishes to state that the commission and CAAM were set up with distinct functions which complement one another for the betterment of the Malaysian civil aviation industry.
Taking the example of aerodrome governance, CAAM is responsible for the technical and safety assessment of aerodromes whereas the commission oversees the economic and consumer aspects of aerodrome operations such as the determination of charges and quality of service of airports in the country, with the broader view of developing the aviation industry.
SPOKESMAN
MALAYSIAN AVIATION COMMISSION
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times