PETALING JAYA: Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has called on pilots and cabin crew to report earlier for pre-flight checks, following the arrest of a second officer in Indonesia for alleged drug trafficking.
He said airlines could require flight crew to report for work one and a half to two hours before duty so they could be screened and cleared before being allowed to work.
“The relevant professionals can decide on the type and scope of testing. What matters is having a more active and effective way to prevent such cases,” he said in a statement.
Tiong said the case involving the Malaysian pilot should not be treated simply as a problem involving just one employee as it raised questions about possible weaknesses in the entire aviation system.
Malaysia Aviation Group has ordered all 1,260 Malaysia Airlines pilots to undergo drug screening following the second officer’s arrest.
It also sought to clarify that the pilot, who also tested positive for drugs, was not part of the crew operating the flight that day but was travelling in the cockpit jump seat as an observer.
Nonetheless, Tiong said the main concern was that the pilot was on drugs and that existing checks were not good enough.
The minister said airlines and aviation authorities should not wait for something to go wrong before tightening checks, adding that they need to be able to spot risks before an incident occurs.
He added that aviation safety involved the lives of passengers and could affect Malaysia’s aviation industry.
The Cabinet has given the home affairs and transport ministries two weeks to develop a comprehensive plan to tighten security measures at KLIA after the pilot managed to pass through baggage screening, with 25kg of drugs going undetected.
