Our Dewan Rakyat has passed a bill to dissolve the Malaysian Aviation Commission, also known as Mavcom. The bill was passed despite a failed bloc vote by the Opposition.
The dissolution bill, which was read by Anthony Loke, Transport Minister, initially sparked fierce debates with multiple Opposition MPs who called for the bill to be passed on to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC). The bill was passed via bloc vote with 93 in favour, 63 against, and 63 absent.
Loke says the bill to dissolve Mavcom was done after what he calls comprehensive engagement sessions with relevant stakeholders. The list includes CAAM, the Attorney-General’s Chamber, Public Service Department, Economic Ministry, Finance Ministry, and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
“The government has considered the implementation of merging the national civil aviation regulatory bodies, involving CAAM and Mavcom, through the repeal of Act 771 and amendments to Act 788 (of CAAM Act 2017),” Loke said. “This unified mechanism is also employed by most countries that oversee the world’s major air transportation sectors, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and China,” he said in his speech during the tabling of the bill, today.”
Formed in March 2016, Mavcom was founded as an independent entity to regulate economic and commercial matters, related to Malaysian civil aviation. Before the dissolution bill, the group’s most recent act was revising the rates for Passenger Service Charges, or the airport tax. For that matter, the bill is also aimed at reducing red tape and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of civil aviation service delivery, especially for licensing.
