This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 18, 2019 - November 24, 2019

It emerged last week that the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) had its air safety rating downgraded to Category 2 by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

This is not only an embarrassment for the country’s aviation sector but it also brought to the fore long-standing problems faced by the technical regulator. These are issues that need attention and which may not otherwise have been addressed due to a lack of resources as CAAM is just one of many government agencies under the purview of the Ministry of Transport.

Coincidentally, CAAM CEO Ahmad Nizar Zolfakar resigned early this month, ahead of the bad news, after only a year on the job. But CAAM’s present problems are likely to have been festering since the tenure of his predecessor Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the chief of the aviation authority when it was still known as the Department of Civil Aviation.

CAAM board member Afzal Abdul Rahim made it clear that the downgrade was due to its deficiency and shortcomings. “It’s our failure.”

So, how long did CAAM intend to keep its problems under wraps?

As the current members vow to make serious changes to CAAM’s structure and operations in a bid to quickly regain its Category 1 status, it is crucial that it receives full support from the government, given its critical role as overseer of the technical and safety aspects of civil aviation.

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