No decision yet on the proposed hike by MAHB
Published on: Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Kuala Lumpur: The government has not made any decision on the proposal by Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to increase the passenger service charges (PSC), the Dewan Rakyat was told Tuesday. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said the ministry was still studying the proposal to ensure that it would not burden the people as well bring about negative impact on airlines, particularly local carriers. "MAHB has proposed to increase the PSC but until now, we have yet to decide on the matter. Therefore the hike in PSC issue should not have arisen," he said in reply to a question from Datuk Mohd Zaim Abu Hasan (BN-Parit) on the matter.
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Replying to a supplementary question from Mohd Zaim on the recent hike in the air navigation facility charges (ANFC) by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), Ab Aziz said the increase did not significantly influence the flight ticket price. He said the government would ensure that the increase would not burden passengers, especially domestic passengers, who have been using air flights as their primary mode of transport. Ab Aziz said 55 per cent of the 85 million air passengers were domestic. "I was told that DCA is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent to passengers at rural airports including in Sabah and Sarawak. This ensures low domestic flight ticket prices despite the increase in the ANFC," he said.
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DCA had in April announced that it would increase the ANFC to airline operators in stages with a maximum one-fold increase. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the inevitable decision was made as ANFC had not been revised for well over 40 years as well as other charges such as the issuance of Air Operators Certificate or Certificate of Airworthiness which had not been revised since 1996.
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Meanwhile, the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2015 which seeks to improve procedures in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases, was tabled for the second reading at the Dewan Rakyat Tuesday. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri said the bill was tabled in Parliament last year, along with some other bills intended to curb organised crime. However, the bill was withdrawn for further consultation and research, Nancy said, when tabling the bill. She said among the key elements of the bill was Clause 7, which provides for statements from protected witnesses to be taken through a special procedure. "It is to overcome the reluctance of witnesses to testify in court for fear of personal safety if their identities were exposed," she said. Nancy said with the proposed new provisions, more witnesses would come forward to give evidence in court against any charges, including those against members of organised crime syndicate. In addition, she said Clause 16 of the bill provides for the court to be allowed to proceed with a trial and settle the case without the presence of the accused, who had fled either before, or during the trial. "The court can also impose penalties without the accused being present, except for cases involving the death penalty, life imprisonment and natural life imprisonment," she said. Nancy said under Clause 17, the power would be given to the minister rather than the court, to reward individuals who have shown courage, tenacity and extraordinary ability in catching criminals. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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