Advertisement

Aviation commission members must have no ties to local agencies, says Nur Jazlan

PAC to summon 10 ministries over issues raised in audit report

Those appointed to the aviation commission under Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s restructuring plan for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) must be impartial and professional, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said today.

The government must ensure the commission is free from influence by resisting appointments of those from within the local aviation industry or existing aviation-related bodies, he said.

"There is no use for the government to choose a chairman or committee members who are from the local aviation industry, government-linked corporations (GLCs) or the ministry.

"Those chosen must be truly impartial, not those who are working or have worked in the government or any GLCs like Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) or Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAHB)," he said in a statement today.

Khazanah, the federal government's investment holding arm, is in the process of taking private the loss-making MAS and is currently restructuring the airline to save it.

It announced on August 29, 2014, an aviation commission as part of the restructuring plan. Khazanah holds a majority share in the national carrier.

Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar had said that the commission would function as an economic regulator for the aviation industry, which he said has been subject to “haphazard competition”.

Nur Jazlan said the commission must function as a monitoring body and consultant to all local aviation companies without siding with anyone, including the national carrier.

It should play its role like the Securities Commission, he said, as the supervisor and arbitrator.

"We must realise that MAS is not the only airline in the country. There are also (budget airlines) AirAsia and Malindo Air that are competing and getting equal privileges in the industry.

"It does not mean MAS, which is government-owned, should receive all privileges at the expense of the other airlines for the sake of saving the MAS brand... it would not be good for the industry or the people," he said.

Nur Jazlan stressed that there is no use having a commission if interested parties are selected to be part of the committee.

"People with conflict of interest cannot be selected as committee members.

"It will attract all sorts of accusations and give the people a negative perception of the government, causing the commission's credibility to be questioned," he said. – September 18, 2014.