Before you buy a drone, here’s what to know about M’sian permits, no-fly zones, and more
SOURCE: VULCANPOST.COM
JUL 19, 2022
Drones, while a useful tool for photography, videography, and even racing, have yet to be widely adopted by Malaysian consumers. Perhaps it’s the steep prices of owning one, or just the fact that not much is commonly known about the regulations around their usage.
Where can you fly them? Do you need a permit?
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know before buying and flying a drone in Malaysia.
In Malaysia, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) handles all matters relating to aircraft. Under the regulations, Malaysia doesn’t impose drone operator licences yet, as their implementation is still pending.
However, depending on what you intend to do with drones, there are drone operating permits that you would need to get from CAAM.
CAAM divides drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), into three categories:
An sUAS refers to an unmanned aircraft that weighs 20kg or less without fuel.
Meanwhile, a small unmanned surveillance aircraft is an sUAS equipped to conduct any form of surveillance or data acquisition. With how broad this definition is, any drone with a camera would fall under this latter category.
Image Credit: Unsplash
You’ll need to apply for a permit if your drone falls under any of these conditions:
The application form for seeking authorisation to fly can be found on CAAM’s portal.
Without permission from the Director-General of CAAM, no drone can be flown in areas found near airports at low altitudes, such as:
In general, drones shouldn’t be flown within 5km of airports.
On top of the locations listed, Malaysia has declared no-fly zones in certain areas for security purposes, such as Putrajaya, KLCC, the Parliament, and Istana Negara.
Any other government location that is not open to the public can also be considered no-fly zones. These include police stations, prisons, government offices, and military bases.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Other places that aren’t recommended for drone operators to fly are locations where emergency services are present, such as hospitals and fire stations. This would include places where emergency front liners are working, such as crime or accident scenes.
Flying your drone too close to them may get in the way of their duties and land you in legal trouble under Section 186 of the Penal Code.
Services such as DJI’s GEO Zone Map exist for users to check a non-exhaustive list of no-fly zones prior to flying.
Flying drones for recreational purposes requires a standard application to fly. From what we could find, there is no licence or drone pilot training requirement if your purpose of flying a drone is recreational.
Image Credit: Pexels
While doing so, you’re also required to maintain direct and unaided visual contact with the drone’s flight path to avoid any other aircraft, people, vehicles, and structures to avoid collisions.
To add, it’s worth mentioning that there are some general safety guidelines around flying drones in Malaysia including:
So long as you’re staying away from the no-fly zones mentioned above, no permission or authorisation is required.
To fly a UAS for aerial work, authorisation from the Director-General must be obtained.
Aerial work is where an aircraft is used to provide specialised services such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveying, observation, and patrol, along with search and rescue, and aerial advertisement.
However, this authorisation only applies to drones weighing more than 20kg, and each authorisation will involve some fees to be paid directly payment to the authorities.
To use drones for aerial work, you must also apply for and maintain an aerial work certificate:
It’s worth noting that permit applications to CAAM must be submitted at least 14 working days before your planned flight date, otherwise your application will be rejected.
Permits are only effective for up to three months, and are dependent on the dates of operation specified in your application.
Drones for consumers are still a nascent industry, and regulations can be expected to change over time. Every country has wildly differing laws about the use of drones as well, so if you intend to fly in a new area, it’s worth reading up on the rules.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
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