A BILL to dissolve the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) was passed despite attempts by the Opposition to block the Bill.
The Bill, which was read for the second reading, saw heated debates, with several Opposition MPs calling for it to be referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) before being retabled.
Earlier during the debates, Opposition chief Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut) questioned the government’s rush to pass the Bill that would lead to the dissolution of Mavcom.
He said the Opposition was not against the dissolution of Mavcom but wanted it to be further deliberated by the PSSC before a final decision was made.
He said there was concern that the lack of an independent commission such as Mavcom would result in investors having influence in decision-making with regard to the aviation industry.
Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Kamal (PN-Machang) suggested a connection between the sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and the dissolution of Mavcom.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke clarified that Mavcom’s role would gradually merge with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) over a period of six to nine months, rather than ending immediately.
“This does not mean that if we pass the Bill today, Mavcom will cease operations tomorrow. You can even visit their office tomorrow, and it will still be open,” he said in reply to Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya), who asked about Mavcom employees’ fate.
Loke said the move was also to ensure the welfare of CAAM staff, especially their salaries.
He pointed out that CAAM employs 1,500 people, many of whom are underpaid air traffic controllers.
“Their pay grades are extremely low. We want to combine so that we can empower CAAM as a fully independent statutory body,” he said.
He cited an example where the salary of the first Mavcom executive chairman amounted to RM85,000 per month, which created a huge pay gap between certain bodies, including government agencies.
Loke chided several Opposition MPs for alleging there was an ulterior motive by the government to push for the dissolution of Mavcom, including linking it to MAHB.
Discussions to merge Mavcom and CAAM had been going on for several years prior to 2018, he pointed out.
An attempt to block the Bill from being read for the third time and passed failed after Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan called for a bloc vote.
The House adjourned for almost half an hour for MPs to return to the House and for votes to be counted.
The Bill was passed when 93 MPs voted in favour, 63 nays, and 66 MPs were absent.
The Bill would see the dissolution of the commission and the transfer of its rights, powers and funds to CAAM.
Several savings clauses were also included in the Bill, which preserve the contracts and rights made via Mavcom pending their expiration.
