KUCHING – Limbang folk living and working in Miri are pleading for cheaper Miri-Limbang airfare so they may return home to cast their votes in the Sarawak election on December 18, said Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak president Bobby William.
Currently, the 20-minute flight costs RM326 per person for a return trip.
Speaking to The Vibes, Bobby said RM326 airfare is not affordable for Limbang voters who are living and working in Miri – most of whom are offshore oil platform employees.
“We are pleading to the airline, MASwings, which operates the Miri-Limbang route to offer a 70% discount.
“These Limbang residents want to exercise their voting rights and the airline must make it possible for them to return home to cast their votes.”
According to Bobby, the distance to Limbang from Miri is nearly 200km by road, passing through Brunei.
He said it is no longer possible to get to Limbang from Miri by road as the Brunei government has shut its borders for the last two years since the pandemic began.
Yesterday, Deputy Minister of Rural Development Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, who is also Limbang MP, announced that the Miri-Limbang flight frequency will return to 21 weekly flights beginning today.
“Increasing flight frequency does not mean anything if the airfare is beyond the reach of ordinary folk,” Bobby said.
He also called on the federal government to speed up the construction of the new Miri-Limbang link road that will bypass Brunei under the Pan Borneo Highway project.
This section of the highway was approved in 2018 by the then Pakatan Harapan government.
Last Saturday, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii told The Vibes that the high cost of flights from the peninsular will not only affect businesses but also those wanting to return home to vote in the election. – The Vibes, December 1, 2021
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