Time To Re Evaluate The Civil Service Glics And Glcs

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A Kadir Jasin
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
PREAMBLE: Views expressed herein are entirely mine. I am writing in my personal capacity as a blogger. It has nothing to do with whatever position I may hold.
FAA downgrade could affect our MRO activitiesTHERE is no harm evaluating the motives and reasons for the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) downgrading the ratting of the Civil Aviation Commission of Malaysia (CAAM) from Category 1 to Category 2.
But the more urgent task is to understand the implications of the decision and how CAAM can claw its way back to the top.
The commission was quoted as saying that it would get back the Category 1 rating in 24 months.
I don’t know what is going on in the heads of the CAAM people. Unless they are high on “ketum” (Mitragyna speciosa) they would have known that we don’t have 24 months. In fact, we don’t have a minute to spare.
This downgrade sabotages the government’s latest effort to make the aviation industry one of the key drivers of the economy.
It affects not only the access of Malaysia-registered aircraft to US airports and airspace. It could also cause negative effects on our MRO services, pilot licensing and flight training, aircraft registration, code-sharing, air travelers’ confidence and aircraft insurance.
We are not in the mood to wait or tolerate the inefficiency of the CAAM or, for that matter, any department, agency and government-linked company (GLC).
In very simple language, heads must roll. The entire board and top management of the CAAM must be held accountable. Even the Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, must assume responsibility.
This is no laughing matter. Even the opposition parties, who are laughing at us, have a strong reason to do so. For 60 over years under their watch, the CAAM (previously the Civil Aviation Authority), did not get downgraded.
The saving grace is we still have friends in and outside the country who are willing to help and have offered their assistance.
We must treat these offers positively and urgently because unless we are seen to be doing the right things, the CAAM may face scrutiny from other international and national aviation regulators.
In a broader sense, the government must seriously examine itself and its machinery. It has been more than 17 months that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is in power.
Even if ministers feel secure in their jobs because the Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had repeatedly dismissed rumours of cabinet reshuffles, it doesn’t mean that the people are fully satisfied with their performance.
Scrutiny must now be made of top-ranking civil servants, chairmen and women of the government-linked investment companies (GLICs) and GLCs, their board members and top management.
The non-performers, laggards and the “gunting dalam lipatan” type must go.
Most of these people were appointed by the new government. So, it is its prerogative to remove them if they don’t measure up to its expectation – starting with those in the aviation sector.
Wallahuaklam.

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