Mavcom dissolution Bill passed despite call for bloc vote by Opposition

KUALA LUMPUR: A Bill to dissolve the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) was passed in the Dewan Rakyat following a failed bloc vote by the Opposition to prevent its passage.

The Bill which was read by Transport Minister Anthony Loke for the second reading saw heated debates with several Opposition MPs calling for the Bill to be referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) before being retabled.

Earlier during the debates, Opposition chief Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Perikatan Nasional- Larut) questioned the move by the government to rush passing the Bill that will lead to the dissolution of Mavcom.

He said that 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.

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He added there was concern that the lack of an independent commission such as Mavcom would result in investors influencing decision-making concerning the aviation industry.

He also said that the move empowered the welfare of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) staff, especially on matters concerning their salaries.

Loke said that CAAM has 1,500 personnel members, many of whom are underpaid air traffic controllers.

“Their pay grades are extremely low. We want to combine the two bodies so that we could empower CAAM as a fully independent statutory body,” he said.

Earlier, an attempt to block the Bill from being read for the third time and passed by the Opposition 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.

However, the Bill was passed when 93 MPs voted in favour, 63 nays, while 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 expiry.

The move is also aimed at reducing red tape and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of civil aviation service delivery, especially for licensing.