PAPAR – Airlines should set the price of festive season flight tickets for Sabah and Sarawak based on corporate social responsibility (CSR), and not just on demand and supply, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the issue of expensive flight ticket prices had been discussed at the cabinet level, and various efforts had been made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the federal government to address the problem.
“The transport minister (Anthony Loke) has discussed with the airlines not to use the basis of these flight tickets according to demand and supply, but that there must be an element of CSR to it.
“We hope that during the upcoming festival, this matter will be resolved immediately, and we are very concerned about the problems faced, especially the cost of flights for people from Sabah and Sarawak working in the peninsula. We wish to see this before the Kaamatan Festival and Gawai Day celebrations so that this problem does not arise again,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after attending a get-together at MRSM Kota Kinabalu here, which is now known as MRSM Tan Sri Musa Aman, which was also attended by Mara Chairman, Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Zahid said apart from that, establishing a boutique airline connecting the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak, is also one of the measures which can ensure that the price of flight tickets is competitive.
Asked about Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan’s proposal regarding the creation of the Borneo Civil Aviation Authority to regulate the aviation industry in Sabah and Sarawak, he said that he hoped that the matter would be brought to the cabinet for discussion.
“Regarding this issue, I hope the minister responsible for Sabah and Sarawak, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also Papar MP, will bring this issue to the cabinet,” he said.
When speaking at the Sabah Umno Liaison Committee’s Aidilfitri open house held at the party’s building compound today, Zahid also acknowledged the complaints from people of Sabah and Sarawak regarding expensive airline tickets.
He said he heard people saying they had to pay high airfares to return to their respective hometowns to celebrate Aidilfitri.
“Hence, in this regard, we hope we will be able to facilitate and give opportunities to the B40 and M40 groups, who have very limited finances. Although there are those who can afford it, they may have responsibilities and a lot of expenses incurred.
“Give them the opportunity to return to their hometowns in Sabah and Sarawak with cheap fares,” he said, asking the Transport Ministry to pay attention to the issue, especially during the upcoming Kaamatan Festival and Gawai Day celebrations. – Bernama, May 4, 2023
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