KUALA LUMPUR (Apr 6): A bill has been tabled in parliament this morning that will see the setting up of the country’s first aviation commission to regulate economic matters relating to the civil aviation industry.

The purview of the commission, which is to be known simply as the Malaysian Aviation Commission, includes connectivity improvements — both globally and locally, so as to promote economic ties — integration, growth, trade, investment and tourism.

The bill, cited as the Malaysian Aviation Commission Bill 2015, was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar for its first reading today.

The commission will be led by an executive chairman who shall be appointed by the Prime Minister. Its members will include two representatives from the federal government, namely the secretary-general of the Ministry of Transport and the director-general of the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.

The aviation commission was first proposed during the unveiling of Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s RM6 billion 12-point recovery plan in August last year for ailing national carrier Malaysian Airlines Systems Bhd (MAS), which has since been privatised.

But some quarters, like Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, had urged the proposed commission not to solely favour cash-strapped MAS to the detriment of other airlines.

"I hope the commission is not used solely in favour of MAS to the detriment of other players. The commission must be for the betterment of the aviation industry and for the benefit of the people," he was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider.