Lee highlights need for proper drone licensing, permits in meeting with CAAM

KUCHING (Dec 5): Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin on Monday convened a meeting with the chief executive officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) Dato Captain Norazman Mahmud and senior aviation officers.

The focus of the meeting, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, centred on aviation operation procedures and regulatory requirements particularly in light of the proposed acquisition of MASWings by the Sarawak government.

“During the meeting a comprehensive briefing was provided, specifically addressing the operation of drones or unmanned aircraft — emphasising the need for proper licensing and permits.

“It was noted that in Sarawak, there is a lack of awareness among the public regarding these regulations leading to recent cases where drones used for recording festivals and events were seized by the police due to a lack of necessary approvals and permits,” he said in a statement issued by his ministry today.

In response to these concerns, Lee proposed the organisation of a roadshow by CAAM in collaboration with the ministry to educate the public on the procedures and regulatory requirements for obtaining permits to operate drones for commercial, professional and recreational purposes.

This proposal received unanimous agreement in the meeting.

After the meeting, Lee led his delegation on a visit to CAE Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd in Sepang, Selangor — a promninent training centre for airline pilots, engineers, cabin crew and ground crew.

“The purpose of the visit was to gain insights into the aviation training industry and explore potential collaboration opportunities.”
The delegation received a comprehensive briefing from Kevin Foo, CAE Kuala Lumpur’s Area General Manager, and his management team on the operations and training services provided by CAE. A tour of the training facilities, including the flight simulators, was also conducted.

Looking ahead, Lee said the ministry is eager for continued engagements and collaborations with various aviation industry players for a progressive and developed aviation landscape for Sarawak.

Accompanying Lee were Deputy Minister for Transport Sarawak (Aviation and Road) Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, the ministry’s permanent secretary Dato Alice Jawan Empaling, the ministry’s Aviation Technical Advisor Sio Yew Hua and other senior officers.