DR Nungsari Ahmad Radhi has been named as the new chairman of the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) replacing Abdullah Ahmad.

“I would like to announce that the prime minister has approved Dr Nungsari to be the new Mavcom chairman,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke said at a press conference at the ministry, with Nungsari, formerly a Mavcom commissioner, standing beside him.

The appointment comes as the aviation industry has expressed unhappiness with the regulator, with some parties calling for its abolishment.

Nungsari’s salary will be capped at RM15,000 a month as well as that of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chairman, Loke also said.

The move to streamline the Mavcom chairman’s salary comes after recent furore over news that previous chairman Abdullah was earning RM85,000 a month. It prompted the new Pakatan Harapan government to review the salaries of all chairmen of statutory bodies and government-linked companies.

“I believe many will ask what is the allowance of the new chairman, and in line with our transparency, we announce that it will be RM15,000,” Loke said, as Nungsari broke into a wide smile.

“This is the same allowance given to the CAAM chairman, so we streamline allowances (for chairmen) of these two organisations as they deal with aviation.”

In June, Loke said Abdullah’s RM85,000 salary was four times what Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad earns.

Abdullah, a former air force general, served Mavcom for more than two years. 

Nungsari is currently the managing director of Prokhas Sdn Bhd, a Minister of Finance Inc company, as well as a board member and principal officer of Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd as well as other business entities.

Prior to his appointment as executive chairman, Nungsari served as a commissioner at Mavcom since its inception on March 1, 2016. – July 20, 2018.

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