DAP man calls for more Miri-KL flights as foreign demand creates crisis for locals

MIRI (Jan 5): Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak secretary Alan Ling has called on airlines to increase the number of flights between Miri and Kuala Lumpur (KL) in response to surging passenger demand.

Ling highlighted that a growing influx of foreign passengers, especially from neighbouring Brunei, is significantly impacting local travellers.

This has led to consistently fully booked flights and driven up airfares.

He emphasised that for Miri residents, flights to Kuala Lumpur are an essential service for official business, education, healthcare, tourism, and other critical needs.

“As a result, locals are forced to compete with foreign passengers for both seats and airfare prices,” he said.

Ling, who also serves as the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak secretary, pointed out that the favourable exchange rate of foreign currency is a major incentive for Bruneians to choose Miri as their gateway for flights to and from Kuala Lumpur.

“To address the rising demand, the only practical solution is to increase the frequency of flights between Miri and Kuala Lumpur so that more passengers can be accommodated,” he said in a press statement.

He further noted that some passengers have resorted to travelling to Bintulu, either by air via transit or by road, specifically to catch flights to Kuala Lumpur, as fares from there can sometimes be cheaper than from Miri.

Ling expressed hope that airlines would seriously consider expanding both route options and flight frequency for the Miri–Kuala Lumpur route.

This, he stressed, is necessary to ensure the travel needs of local residents are no longer compromised by the increasing volume of foreign passengers.