By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 9: Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing has called for stricter pre-duty screening for pilots and cabin crew instead of what he described as ‘denial syndrome’ following the incident of a Malaysia Airlines pilot being detained in Jakarta after drugs were found on him.
In a Facebook post, the Bintulu MP called on airlines, regulatory authorities, and the police narcotics division to jointly develop and enforce stricter pre-duty screening for pilots and cabin crew.
He suggested that staff could be instructed to report for duty 1.5 to 2 hours before their shifts to undergo screening, and that they should only be allowed to begin duty after passing the prescribed screening.
At the same time, he criticised the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) for allegedly placing greater emphasis on the fact that the individual did not operate the aircraft, rather than first apologising to the public and addressing the issue.
Tiong, who is also Dudong assemblyman, claimed this raises questions about whether there was an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the case.
“Agencies and companies should not wait until an unwanted incident occurs before action is taken. If nothing happens, they assume the system has no problems. When a problem occurs, only then are investigations conducted, explanations given and action taken.
“The main question is whether the existing system is capable of identifying risks before an incident occurs,” he said.
He added that whether the individual flew the aircraft that day or not, the airline and regulatory authorities remain responsible for ensuring there are no gaps in safety management.
“Airport screening and security systems also need to be reviewed, including equipment, procedures and coordination between agencies, so that they are better able to address current security challenges and prevent incidents before they occur.
All parties need to work together to close all gaps, restore confidence in the aviation sector and protect Malaysia’s image,” he said.
On Aug 7, Tiong also called for a comprehensive review of airport security and border control measures.
Previously, a 39-year-old Malaysian pilot was detained at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport over the alleged smuggling of 25kg of drugs.
Indonesian authorities said they seized 70,114 ecstasy and methamphetamine pills worth an estimated RM45 million, as well as a bottle of urine believed to have been intended to falsify a drug test. The pilot later tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine.
Following the incident, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) mandated drug screening for all 1,260 Malaysia Airlines pilots, with the first phase to be completed by Aug 15. Pilots who fail to undergo screening will not be allowed to operate flights until cleared.
The programme will also be extended to all active pilots across MAG’s airlines as well as to cabin crew. — DayakDaily
