Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has called for a review of airport and flight crew screening systems, saying the recent arrest of a Malaysian co-pilot in Indonesia has raised concerns over aviation security and could affect passenger confidence.
Tiong said aviation authorities and relevant agencies should treat the case as a serious warning and work to close any gaps in crew screening and airport security procedures.
His call came after Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said the co-pilot was not operating an aircraft on the day of the incident. Tiong said that did not address the main concern surrounding the case.
“Passengers’ concerns are not whether the individual flew the plane or not, but the positive urine test results and the monitoring weaknesses revealed through the case,” he said in a statement today.
Tiong called for stricter pre-duty screening of pilots and cabin crew, with airlines, regulators and the police narcotics division working together on the checks.
He suggested crew members could be required to report for duty 90 minutes to two hours early to undergo screening and begin work after clearing the required checks.
The review, he added, should extend beyond crew screening to airport security procedures, equipment and coordination between agencies to identify and address potential weaknesses.
The move comes after MAG announced on 7 August that drug screening had been made mandatory for all 1,260 Malaysia Airlines pilots, with stricter checks also being introduced for active pilots.
The measures followed the arrest of a 39-year-old Malaysian co-pilot at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 29 July over alleged drug trafficking involving more than 70,000 ecstasy pills weighing about 25 kilogrammes.
Tiong said stronger safeguards were needed to reinforce confidence in Malaysia’s aviation security, particularly among international passengers and tourists.
