KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Aeronautical charges are to be set and gazetted by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) under Section 46 of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act [Act 771], says the commission.
"The rule of law dictates that these provisions in the Act be adhered to and the commission has acted in accordance to the law," Mavcom said in a statement today.
"Section 46 of the Act further defines the way such charges are to be set, that is, the methodology chosen should be made known to all stakeholders and the charges be determined in consultation with them.
"Thus, the issue of the commission not gazetting the Cabinet decision on this matter does not arise. We had subsequently briefed the prime minister and selected Cabinet members on this matter," it added.
The aviation regulator was responding to an article by The Edge weekly on Dec 23, 2019 which quoted Transport Minister Anthony Loke as saying that Mavcom had refused to execute a recent Cabinet decision to reduce passenger service charges for destinations beyond Asean from RM73 to RM50.
Loke had also said nobody recognises Mavcom as the authority for civil aviation.
To this, Mavcom pointed out that it was enacted by an Act of Parliament to be an independent economic regulator for the local civil aviation industry.
"Since March 2016, the commission has been interacting with airlines, airport operators, ground handlers, investors, analysts, banks, consumers, consumer bodies, travel associations, and government agencies — all from and also outside of Malaysia — on subject matters which Mavcom is legally responsible for.
"The commission has also been interacting closely with foreign civil aviation and competition authorities, and major international aviation bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation, International Air Transport Association, Airports Council International, Association of Air Pacific Airlines and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on matters related to economic regulation and consumer protection for the civil aviation industry in Malaysia and abroad," it added.
"The commissioners within Mavcom are also made up of professionals of various backgrounds. Act 771 also dictates that Mavcom's commissioners must be made up of the secretary-general of the Ministry of Transport, as well as a director-general of the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department."