AADK to Screen All Pilots

PETALING JAYA: The National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) will soon begin conducting regular urine drug screenings and spot checks on Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) pilots and cabin crew.

AADK Director-General Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said the cooperation is currently being finalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between AADK and MAG.

He said the proposed screening programme would not only involve pilots but also other flight crew members to ensure the aviation sector remains free from drug abuse.

“Among the proposals are regular urine tests and spot checks. We will put forward these recommendations.

“Discussions to finalise the MoU are ongoing, and we are targeting for it to be signed between AADK and MAG this month,” he told Utusan Malaysia yesterday.

He said formal cooperation between the two organisations is important to ensure efforts to establish a drug-free workplace in the aviation sector can be implemented in a more structured manner.

Ruslin said AADK had previously conducted urine drug screenings on MAG pilots twice last year.

“My aim is for the aviation sector to be drug-free. It should not only apply to government offices, but the entire aviation sector must also be drug-free because public safety is at stake.

“We have submitted our proposals, so we are now awaiting the details. From my perspective, this is a positive development, and MAG has also responded positively to cooperating with AADK,” he said.

Previously, AADK proposed that random urine drug tests for pilots and flight crew be conducted at least once a month as part of efforts to strengthen drug abuse prevention in the aviation sector.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) Director-General Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the agency foils attempts to smuggle drugs, including cannabis buds, out of the country almost daily following increased screening at airports.

The move followed the detention of a Malaysian pilot in Indonesia, after which AKPS was tasked with coordinating screening with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2.

MAG previously said all Malaysia Airlines pilots who remain on active duty had tested negative for drugs following mandatory screenings conducted after a first officer was detained in Indonesia at the end of July.

MAG also reported that all 2,840 cabin crew members of the national airline were undergoing drug screening.

The same screening was conducted on 158 Firefly pilots and 163 cabin crew members.

According to MAG, more than half of them have been screened so far, with all testing negative for drugs.

UTUSAN