COMMENT | Codes of conduct, guidelines, and ethics seldom come with punitive penalties for non-compliance. It had always been argued that they are not laws per se and there is no compulsion to adhere.

But the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 was issued under the auspices of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act, and hence, there are penalties for non-compliance.

The recent furore of a delayed Malindo (now Batik Air) flight has exposed lax enforcement and indifferent attitude by the authorities which enforce laws related to air travel.

Section 15 of the Code reads...