6 September 2015 @ 6:09 PM
WHEN a drone enthusiast posted pictures his drone took in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on social media recently, it caused an immediate backlash from the public.
Some believed the lightweight drone could have been sucked into a plane’s engine and cause the plane to crash, risking many lives.
Apart from violating the Department of Civil Aviation’s (DCA) regulations that prohibits drones being used for recreational purposes in controlled airspaces, such as airports, he had no qualms about posting his images online.
Drones are unmanned aircraft, formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They are most often associated with the military, but are also used for search-and-rescue, surveillance, traffic control and weather monitoring. Personal drones are currently a hobbyist’s item, used often for aerial photography.
Recently, however, there have been issues concerning the lack of safety rules and regulations as drones are seen flying in prohibited areas such as airports, near government buildings and around the city centre.
In 2013, a local politician concluded that his bungalow was being filmed using a drone by political rivals hoping to find evidence of financial irregularities.
Malaysia is not the only country with concerns about drone safety. After a few near-misses, Paris has been declared a no-fly zone for UAVs. If you’re caught flying a drone there, you could be slapped with a RM317,833 fine and a maximum of five years in jail.
In Thailand, the use of UAVs is prohibited, unless it’s for research and educational purposes. Illegal use of drones is punishable with a year in prison and RM4,435 fine. However, the drone community is adamant to prove that there are far more benefits than what is being reported.
Drone Malaysia co-founder Hamdi Hamdan, 42, said any vehicle in the hands of someone with bad intentions posed a risk, and not just drones. “We can’t control people’s intentions. It is the same as buying a car to rob a bank. Are you going to blame the car? It all comes down to good and bad intentions. “I’m not going to deny that we do have customers who buy drones to spy on people they have a crush on, or to monitor the whereabouts of their rivals.
But those cases are few and far between. “Many people are interested in drones because they want to take ‘dronefies’. “Instead of using a selfie stick to take selfies and wefies, people are using drones to capture images of special occasions.” “But drone users like us are afraid that if something goes wrong, the government might ban the use of drones for personal use altogether.”
Hamdi said while authorities were in the midst of setting guidelines for commercial drone flying, drone hobbyists are left in the dark, causing safety to be a major concern.
“Malaysia is still immature in matters concerning drones. In countries like Singapore, banks and insurance companies offer third-party cover for drone associated mishaps. “Everyone is on-board because, like it or not, drones are around and there are many who are passionate about them. The drone industry in Malaysia is growing fast so we can’t afford to be lax about safety matters.” He said even enforcement agencies like the Immigration Department were using drones, and the police recently announced that they would be starting a drone unit.
A recent report had quoted Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar as saying the drone unit, which was set up under their Air Unit, was expected to start operation by the end of this year. “Currently, our officers are undergoing training to operate the machine, while standard operating procedures for the technology utilisation are being worked on. “We are going to start small, with three or four drones. They will be used to assist patrol duties in the Klang Valley,” Khalid had said. He was also reported to have said that police were planning to acquire facial recognition software, which can be paired with the police database, to detect the whereabouts of wanted criminals and terrorists using traffic cameras and patrol drones.
Hamdi said many large corporations already know the usefulness of drones and have been using it for a long time. “In the past, these companies used to rent helicopters, but drones are a much cheaper option. “Why bother with the hassle and cost of going through a delivery service? “We’ve been approached by medical practitioners to help them develop drones to deliver medication. For them, to hire a dispatch is expensive, and in an emergency situation, drones are efficient.”
Drone Malaysia, he said, aimed to educate drone hobbyists on safety. “We have about 11,000 members. There is no age barrier; we have young women in their 20s and men in their 60s. We organise get-togethers to share knowledge and exchange experiences. “We even have European tourists who seek our advice on safe locations to fly drones in Malaysia.”
Drone Malaysia will be organising a first of its kind drone race on Sep 26 and 27 from 10am to 6pm at Sukaneka Field, Universiti Malaya.
