KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — The Ministry of Transport has appointed a new chairman and chief executive officer for the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

Its minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman, currently serving as the Public Service Department’s director-general, will serve as CAAM chairman effective on Monday (June 1).

Similarly, former pilot Chester Voo Chee Soon, whose most recent job is as a flight operations director for a domestic airline, will now serve as chief executive officer.

"I appointed Datuk Khairul based on Section 5(1) and appointed Mr Voo, upon considered recommendation of the Authority, under Section 21 of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia Act 2017,” he said in a statement.

Wee wished both men well in their new duties, adding that one of the main tasks facing CAAM is to restore Malaysia’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) status under the United States to Category One.

In November last year, the US government body downgraded Malaysia to Category Two, which prohibits domestic carriers from setting up new flights to anywhere in the country. The FAA said this was due to CAAM’s technical expertise and record-keeping deficiencies, among others.

Khairul takes over the chairmanship following a nearly two-year vacancy after its previous incumbent Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abd Rahman resigned on August 14, 2018.

Similarly Voo takes over from his predecessor Ahmad Nizar Zolfakar, who resigned as CAAM chief executive officer on November 1 last year.