In January 2011, I wrote this : https://pagalavan.com/2011/01/18/nurses-pilots-and-soon-doctors/ . A country as small as us had 8 flying schools producing almost 400-500 pilots/year. Today, I saw this interesting news in The Sun ( which obviously would not appear in the main stream newspaper), http://www.thesundaily.my/news/464947 which I have attached below.
Despite the warning last year, the government did not bother to take any action on these colleges. I must say that we have one of the worst human resource planning. Even in this article below, I was shocked by the statement by the DCA DG that “the authorities would not limit or reduce the number of AFTOs or the intake of student pilots as they are private entities which do not receive any subsidy or assistance from the government” !!
WTH, aren’t these trainees paid by PTPTN? Isn’t that an assistance from the government for the students from which the colleges make profit? The cost of training a pilot is high as mentioned below. Imagine someone who spend such an amount of money to become a pilot just to find himself jobless. However, it seems 3 colleges have already closed down but I still see some of these colleges advertising aggressively in the radios about their intake! I have said this many times that education has become a business in Malaysia due our grandiose ideas of becoming a regional education hub!! Just look at the number of africans who come into this country as students but involved in criminal activities. What actions has been taken to these colleges?
If you read the article below carefully, the same thing is happening to the medical field. 10 years ago, there was shortage, thus allow mushrooming of colleges but now the production is more than the job opportunities. In another 4 years, the title may read ” Trained Doctors Fail to Land a Career “…………………..
There are enough evidence that this is coming for the medical field. No one can now deny this fact.
1,174 trained pilots fail to land a career
Posted on 15 August 2012 – 09:47pm
Azizul Rahman Ismail
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA (Aug 15, 2012): With more Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holders than jobs as pilots available, Malaysia is seeing a glut of flyers.
According to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), there are 1,174 young pilots, who have graduated with CPLs who have yet to find their dream job.
To help unemployed CPL holders, the DCA recently set up a registry on its website for them to advertise their availability to prospective employers within the aviation industry.
The glut is apparently a result of the mushrooming of Approved Flying Training Organisations (AFTO) around the country.
The cost of training at such AFTOs is between RM250,000 and RM270,000 per person over a period of two to three years.
There are currently five AFTOs in the country, down from eight in 2005, as three have since closed.
Commenting on the high number of unemployed CPL holders, DCA director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said in the current market, there are more pilots than the jobs offered.
He attributed the situation to:
>failing global economy due to high prices of oil;
>bad planning, and
>the employment of foreign pilots by local airlines.
The discrepancy between pilots and jobs was caused by the high demand for pilots in early 2000, which in turn resulted in a high number of AFTOs and trained pilots in 2005, he said.
“This was based on the forecasts made predicting a demand of 185,600 pilots in Asia Pacific for the period of 2012 to 2031,” he said.
“However, the global airline industry took a downturn from 2009 to 2011, prompting airlines to review their operations because of escalating fuel prices. As a result, the demand for pilots dropped.”
Commenting on the employment of foreign pilots, mostly as captains, Azharuddin said local airlines are being required to plan for the promotion of qualified Malaysian First Officers to take over from foreign captains.
“This is being done in stages but will probably take three years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azharuddin advised jobless CPL holders not to be choosy and take up other opportunities in the aviation industry that may be available in the shrinking job market.
He said there are job opportunities for them in general aviation, and overseas, as well as at AFTOs as trainers.
“Those who are financially able should also consider converting to helicopter pilot licences as there is still a shortage of helicopter pilots in the country,” he added.
Azharuddin also explained that the authorities would not limit or reduce the number of AFTOs or the intake of student pilots as they are private entities which do not receive any subsidy or assistance from the government.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
doctor, sorry for disturbing you again 🙂
is UNIKL good?
Choose the public universities especially the big 3 (UM, UKM and USM). Other schools especially those liased with the 3rd world countries means you may not even able to secure the job. Try take the JPA scholarship as this means you are at least bonded for 10 years.
thank you for your advise 🙂
UniKL took over Royal college of medicine perak. subsequently they also added another twinning programme with Salem university India. Royal college of medicine Perak was OK , offering Um degree but I am not sure of the standards now.
thank you 🙂 dr, do you know any private university/college having veterinary course? (ask for my friend)
I don’t think there is any private colleges offering veterinary course
Thank you for highlighting the problems that are going to be faced by the pilots in this country,BUT PLEASE THINK OUT OF THE BOX sir AND SHOW MORE RESPECT TO YOUR PROFESSION IN THE WAY OF GUARDING IT TILL THE VERY LAST ,THEN THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.
I AM NOT SURE IF THE PILOTS HAVE A ASSOCIATION OR NOT, BUT I KNOW THE DOCTORS HAVE ONE AND I WAS 1 OF THE FEW SILLY ONES ASKING MY FRIENDS TO GO ALL OUT TO STOP THE MUSHROOMING OF MEDICAL COLLEGES guess what answer I got we cannot lah if we talk too much they will transfer us to Sabah/Sarawak..
Please do not trust the politicians they are here only for a short time & they want to get MAX as possible thank GOD we have 1 superwomen by the name of AMBIGA who is doing the balance & check .
Sir i love to read your article let ME TELL YOU IT IS NOT TOO LATE PLEASE GET TOGETHER ALL MEDICAL PEOPLE UNDER 1 UMBRELLA to see how we can start reducing the no of students intake into the new medical colleges .
If not do not be surprised, if you read in the paper where a patient went to the hospital for POP of the right leg but instead got his/her left leg amputated.GOOD LUCK.
Sorry to say that MMC is a toothless tiger. The MMC don’t even have the power to accredidate the medical schools which is now all done by the MQA under MoHE. The MOH has no power to reject any medical graduate from going into the health system because MOH is headed by a clueless politician. The MMA is equally impotent and they are just a social club as well.
When I first brought up this issue of oversupply of medical graduates almost 6-8 years ago, people laughed at me! Now, they admit BUT the government is not listening, period! There is nothing much we can do. When MMA brings up this matter with MOH and Minister, this is the answer they gave ” what is so special about doctors? It is just like any other job! You all don’t want competition, is it?” Have you ever tried talking to the people in ministry or with any government department? It’s like talking to the wall!! Their IQ is just too low to understand what we are trying to say. MMC comes under MOH, so forget about independent body unlike Bar Council.
Our minister is a clueless, foot in the mouth syndrome guy. So, no point talking to him. In 2010, when MMA brought up this issue, the government said that there will not be a glut of doctors. Then, suddenly 6 months later, they issued a moratorium on new medical schools for 5 years. The moratorium just remained on paper but few more medical schools were approved after that but they claimed it has been approved before the moratorium.
The only way is to create awareness to the public. That is what this blog is trying to do. Mainstream newspaper reports it on and off BUT our public is not interested!
I CAN FEEL THE FRUSTRATION IN YOUR STATEMENT BUT REMEMBER 1 THING AT THAT TIME ALL MALAYSIAN WERE IN THE WELL TODAY HINDRAF THE ORGANISATION THAT SENT THE SHIVERS TO THE BARISAN NATIONAL MACHINERY, SO MUCH SO THE THE LONGEST SERVING PRESIDENT OF MIC WAS KICKED OUT JUST LIKE THAT .The remainder is history today we got superwomen AMBIKA .
START A MOVEMENT IT WILL GATHER SPEED AS IT MOVES FORWARD WE HAVE TO STOP THIS ROT THE BLAME THAT IS 100 % MUST GO TO THE POLITICIANS.
change the government. Educate the public to change the government. That’s the best we can do. Doctors are generally nice people who do not want to get into trouble. I must say that many are selfish as well. When I started this blog and started to write about the issues concerning ethical practices etc etc, many were not happy with me BUT I always feel that truth has to be told.
I AGREE WITH YOU DOC AS THE GRAND MA SAYING GOES WHEN SOMEONE SAYS HE HAS GOT A HEADACHE THE INSTANT ANS IS WHY CANT HE TAKE A PANADOL & COME OVER FOR THE MEETIMG BUT WHEN THE SAME HEADACHE HAPPENS TO THE SAME PERSON THEN IT IS A DIFFRENT BALL GAME.Well you are doing your part GOD know it TKS
well, that escalated quickly.
there was a recent survey done on specialists and MOs in public hospitalsn regarding quality of graduates among local medical schools or something to that matter… quite hush hush… did you hear of it dr pagal?
I got no info about that yet.
[…] months ago, similar issue was highlighted in the Sun as I mentioned here. This statement from the DCA DG really caught my eye then “the authorities would not limit or […]