KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 5): Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) executive chairman Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi said there has been no indication so far from the Ministry of Transport (MoT) that the civil aviation economic regulation body would be disbanded.

Speaking to the media for the first time since rumour spread last week that Putrajaya intended to disband Mavcom, Nungsari said the Government does not conduct policies by spreading rumours.

“The Government does not conduct policies by throwing rumours in the market. We have a mature and good working relationship with the Ministry [of Transport], the Minister, [while] the secretary-general is our commissioner. So, if they have anything like that [to disband Mavcom], they would discuss with Mavcom,” he said after attending Khazanah Research Institute's (KRI) Panel Discussion on 'Malaysian Input-Output Analysis and Industrial Policy' here, today.

Therefore, Nungsari, who is also KRI’s chairman, said the speculation has had no impact on the morale of Mavcom’s staff, and that operation remains as usual.

“Because somebody went and threw something [rumour] out, people got excited... That is why we have not issued any statement on this. If you listen to everything that everybody says every day, life is going to be difficult,” he said.

Last week, a local newspaper reported that MoT is evaluating a proposal to disband Mavcom and return the commission’s function to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.

However, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced yesterday that he was extending the terms of Datuk Mah Weng Kwai, Datuk Seri Long See Wool and Datuk Fauziah Yaacob as Mavcom commissioners by another three years.

On a separate matter, Nungsari reiterated that Mavcom will not interfere with the legal dispute between AirAsia Group and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd  over the Passenger Service Charges (PSC).

“In this particular case, our role is to set the charges, this was done as per the regulations, and they were gazetted, has the force of law, now there is a dispute between the two parties, let the Court decide,” he said.

In a statement issued later in the evening, Nungsari clarified that his comment of non-interference in the dispute between the two companies is on the basis that the matter is undergoing legal proceedings.

“As such, the commission will refrain from making any comments at this juncture on this matter,” he added.