CAAM must appoint right candidates, not in a rush to fill vacancies — Loke
PUTRAJAYA (Sept 17): The Civil Aviation Authority of ÿմ (CAAM) is in no rush to look for new authority members, in order to ensure the positions are filled with competent individuals, said Minister of Transport Anthony Loke.
“We do not rush into it because we want to find the right person with the right credentials to fill in the position, to fill in the vacuum,” said Loke at a press conference after the launch of CAAM’s new corporate identity.
“I am of course in discussion with the [CAAM] chairman [Datuk Mohamed Shahril Tarmizi] to look out for new and suitable persons to fill in the vacancies,” he said. “Definitely it will be filled up and it will be [updated] from time to time.”
CAAM currently lists nine authority members on its official website, including Mohamed Shahril and CAAM CEO Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud.
CAAM absorbed the ÿմn Aviation Commission’s role in a move to consolidate the nation’s two aviation industry regulators into one single entity. Mavcom previously undertook economic oversight and consumer matters, while CAAM was responsible for technical regulation and safety issues.
With the merger, CAAM is the sole regulatory body for the country’s civil aviation, covering technical, safety and economic aspects.
At the press conference, which was also attended by Mohamed Shahril and Norazman, Loke said CAAM has yet to choose a new deputy CEO to lead its economic regulatory unit.
He added that the CAAM management will decide based on who is most suitable for the role.
Norazman is currently supported by deputy CEOs Zainul Abidin Maslan, who oversees aviation player operations, and Captain Md Jani Md Dom, who oversees industry regulations.
On the merger, Loke said most Mavcom staff have been absorbed by the new regulatory body apart from a few individuals, who opted out.
“Some [opted out] because of age factor, [for] some maybe they are not satisfied with the package — or whatever reason — so that is really up to them, but we have tried our level best to offer them something which is not less favourable,” Loke said.
CAAM now operates as a financially independent statutory body that can adopt a remuneration structure distinct from the government’s standard pay scale, in a move to secure talent and address the issue of high turnover in the past. All 57 Mavcom employees received offer letters on July 2, and had until the end of that month to decide whether or not to accept positions at CAAM.