Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (May 28): Public Services Department director-general Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman has been appointed as the new chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

He is succeeding Captain Ahmad Ridzwan Mohd Salleh, whose contract was terminated earlier this month following a review by the Ministry of Transport of all chairmen and boards of directors at statutory bodies and agencies under the ministry's purview. Ahmad Ridzwan, who was appointed in October last year, held the post for less than a year.

In a statement today, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong also confirmed a report by theedgemarkets.com yesterday that Captain Chester Voo Chee Soon has been appointed as CAAM's new chief executive officer. The appointment took effect yesterday.

The appointments of both Khairul and Voo were made based on the recommendation of CAAM, Wee said, under Section 21 of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia Act 2017 (Act 788).  

"Datuk Khairul has been a professional civil servant for more than three decades who currently serves as Director-General of the Public Service Department (JPA). He had previously served as the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transport.

"Mr Voo, an accomplished airline pilot, brings a wealth of experience in the aviation industry. He had flown for several airlines before his latest position as director of flight operations for a domestic airline. His experience is corroborated by his peers in both the private and public aviation sectors.  

"I trust that they would do much to help the Government improve the industry's commitment to world-class efficiency, safety, and security of civil aviation. One of the main tasks facing us together is to restore Malaysia's FAA status to Category 1, which was obtained in 2003," Wee added.

Voo is filling the vacancy left behind by Ahmad Nizar Zolfakar, who tendered his resignation last October, a month before the release of the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) audit report, wherein the Malaysian aviation regulatory body was downgraded to Category 2 status — the first such downgrade since it achieved Category 1 status in 2003. The downgrade effectively restricts the country’s airlines from adding new flights to the US.

Since the change of guard at Putrajaya in March, CAAM has also axed Afzal Abdul Rahim and Ragunath Kesavan as authority members of CAAM in April.

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