THOUSANDS of Sabahans working in the Peninsula are now facing a dilemma ahead of the 17th State Election on November 29 following the high cost of flights to return to vote.
Libaran Member of Parliament, Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, said that although AirAsia recently announced a special promotion called 'Jom Balik Undi' with fares as low as RM299 one-way, the rate was still too high for most Sabahans.
"This is especially so for those from the middle and low-income groups.
"At RM299 one-way, the return fare from Sabah to the Peninsular reaches almost RM600 per person, excluding baggage charges, airport taxes and other expenses.
"In a challenging economic situation and high cost of living, can ordinary people afford such a large amount just to fulfill their voting obligations?" he said in a statement.
The Sabah UMNO Information Chief also reminded that AirAsia had received financing of RM300 million from the Sabah Development Bank (SDB) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was approved during the administration of former Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
However, he said, to date only around RM170 million has been repaid to SDB, meaning there is still a large balance that has not been repaid to the state government-owned financial institution.
“On the basis of morality and social justice, AirAsia should show a sense of responsibility to the state that once helped them survive by offering special fares of under RM300 return for Sabah voters throughout the election period,” he said.
Suhaimi said the move would not only ease the burden on the people but also show corporate social responsibility and sensitivity towards those who want to exercise their democratic rights.
“If in the past state government funds were used to bail out corporate companies during the crisis, let the benefits now go back to the people of Sabah who want to vote,” he added.
The Election Commission (EC) has set the nomination date for the Sabah state election on November 15, while the early voting and polling days are scheduled for November 25 and 29, respectively. - November 7, 2025
