This is the first of a three-part series on how aspiring aviators' dream of taking to the skies came crashing down when a local company, facilitating their training programme in the Czech Republic, failed to honour its obligations. Part I delves into the company's failure and the significant financial losses for the affected families, as well as MARA, which had provided funding for some of the trainees.
KUALA LUMPUR: Becoming a pilot is an expensive and arduous journey, fraught with numerous financial and personal challenges.
Imagine the heartbreak when aspiring aviators, who have invested their dreams and substantial funds into their future, find themselves victims of a company that they entrusted to undergo aviation training in the Czech Republic.
This is the stark reality faced by more than 50 Malaysian pilot trainees under the guidance of a Malaysian-based company that coordinated aviation training for future pilots.
Both student pilots and their parents are seeking answers and justice, hoping that their perseverance will eventually lead to accountability and redress.
Based in Shah Alam, this now-defunct Bumiputera company owner had appeared in local news, television interviews and talk shows, promoting its services as a successful, internationally recognised Bumiputera company.
Today the company is accused of mismanaging over RM21 million of entrusted student funds, leaving the trainees and their families in a state of distress and financial ruin from 2020 to 2022.
To date, there has been no justice or compensation for the students and their families, who each suffered losses of up to hundreds of thousands of Ringgit.
Bernama's investigation revealed that the company had also previously partnered with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) which sponsored Bumiputeras in the aviation training program facilitated by the company.
Several batches of cadet pilots enrolled under the company from 2019 to 2022, including self-funded students and those financed through commercial bank loans. Fees ranged from RM400,000 to RM700,000 per person.
A parent of a former trainee pilot, who asked to remain anonymous and is referred to as Yusof (not his real name), said that his son was among the MARA-sponsored students sent to Prague in November 2020 under the company's aviation program.
He explained that MARA provided each student with approximately RM441,000 to fund their studies at the Czech Aviation Training Centre (CATC) in Prague. These funds were entrusted to the company to pay for their tuition and accommodation fees.
"As I recall, about 25 pilot trainees, including my son, were sponsored by MARA. MARA gave an estimated RM11 million to the company to manage these students' flight training. However, the company failed to fulfil its commitments related to the training of students at CATC.
"It neglected to pay for living expenses, accommodation, transport, and tuition as promised," he said.
Yusof added that there came a point when the Malaysian students in Prague faced abrupt evictions from their accommodations in the middle of the night because the company had failed to pay the accommodation fees.
He mentioned that during this turmoil, many parents stepped in to inquire with the company on the situation. They formed a WhatsApp group to share their concerns and updates with each other.
Upon learning that the company had failed to pay the fees to the flight school, they lodged a police report together on Feb 5, 2022, at the Bukit Jelutong police station in Shah Alam, Yusof said.
"A group of us (parents) went to the Bukit Jelutong police station together to lodge a report, and we advised the parents of the self-funded to do a separate report because our children were funded by MARA," he explained
However, at the police station, the police informed them that they had no grounds for a criminal breach of trust (CBT) case and that only MARA, as the sponsoring organisation, had the authority to lodge such a report under CBT, not the parents nor the students unless they were self-funded.
"The IO (investigation officer) said that since the funds were not directly from me but from MARA, MARA should be the one to file the police report for them to investigate under CBT," he said.
According to Yusof, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic issues regarding the company began to escalate with MARA withholding the disbursement of funds amounting to around 9 million ringgit due to unresolved issues with the company.
In the end, the company owners were unable to resolve their issues, and as a result, the students who were supposed to be sent to Prague for aviation training were instead enrolled by MARA into local flight schools around the country.
He said for those already enrolled in the flight school in Prague at the time, MARA stepped in and topped up the funds for the MARA-sponsored students, including his son, which settled the problem for them.
However, Yusof said that he could only sympathise with those who were self-funded as their issue has not been settled. They had to use their own money to pay CATC directly. Some, who didn't have the money, had to return without completing their pilot training.
Families seek justice amid ongoing financial devastation and legal battles
Many students and their families have lodged complaints with the company, seeking a peaceful resolution.
Many victims claimed the company's owners made false promises to address the issues, but later fell silent and disappeared without providing any updates.
Some students and their families have sought justice for this breach of trust. However, numerous police reports and legal actions taken by several victims have gone unheard.
Among the parents still seeking justice is Azlira Bosra, a 58-year-old commercial airline pilot with 34 years of experience.
In January 2021, he enrolled his daughter, Sofea, now 21, under the company, aspiring to see her become a pilot. However, the company is alleged to have absconded with RM230,000 of the funds entrusted by him.
Azlira initiated legal action against the company and its key figures in May 2022. The Shah Alam Sessions Court summoned four individuals associated with the company.
"The court summoned them, but none appeared at any proceedings, not even a representative. I even used a substitute service to place an advertisement in the local newspaper, but it had no effect. They simply don't care," he said in an interview with Bernama.
Azlira's daughter is among the privately sponsored students (self-funded) and the father of four is now collaborating with other affected parents in a collective effort to expose the perpetrators of this alleged mismanagement of funds.
As the struggle for justice continues, the families remain steadfast in their pursuit of accountability.
The personal stories of affected families would be highlighted in Part 2. -- BERNAMA