‘Don’t crucify AirBorneo’: Minister defends carrier, slams critics for singling out airline over flight disruptions

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By Dayangku Hidayatul

KUCHING, June 10: Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has slammed critics for singling out AirBorneo over recent flight delays and cancellations, saying it is unfair to attack an airline that is still in its early stages of development.

Abdul Karim said AirBorneo should be given time to grow instead of being “hit left and right” whenever disruptions occur.

“AirBorneo only has three planes. Kita baru nak angkat (we are just starting to grow). You’ve hit left and right. Macam mana nak angkat? (How to grow).

“If you’re so smart, you try to operate an airline,” he told reporters after the press conference of Sarawak International Choral Festival and Symposium 2026 (SICSym 2026) at Baitul Makmur II here today.

He was responding to recent complaints over flight cancellations, including remarks made by Federation of Sri Aman and Betong Divisions Chinese Associations president Datuk Dr Ngu Piew Seng on Facebook.

“When I see this person is a Sarawakian, what is he expecting to see in AirBorneo? They expect AirBorneo to be like Singapore Airlines?” Abdul Karim questioned.

He stressed that flight disruptions are not unique to AirBorneo, pointing out that other airlines have also been affected by cancellations and delays.

Abdul Karim also urged the public not to focus their criticism solely on AirBorneo while overlooking similar issues faced by larger carriers.

“Don’t just crucify and hit like that. Give them time. Why are you only hitting AirBorneo?,” he said.

He called on the Ministry of Transport Malaysia and the Sarawak Ministry of Transport to investigate the recurring flight disruptions affecting airlines.

He expressed concern that the situation could affect Sarawak’s tourism industry, particularly with major events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) approaching and thousands of visitors expected to arrive in the State.

“If suddenly the confirmed ticket that they have acquired gets cancelled, what is going to happen? It will definitely affect us,” he said.

Abdul Karim stressed that authorities must look deeper into the issue to ensure airlines do not operate without sufficient oversight, especially in matters involving ticket pricing and flight reliability.

“It’s not fair to the public. The government has to go deeper into what is happening,” he added. — DayakDaily

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