Senator to S’wak DAP: Tell fed govt to step in to address high airfares, don’t politicise issue

File photo for illustration purposes only. Photo: Ty Yang/Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Apr 20: It is the responsibility of the federal government, particularly the Ministry of Transport, to intervene where necessary to ensure fair pricing for consumers.

Senator Robert Lau said this in a statement responding to the Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) who, in reference to the issue of excessively high airfares for intra-Sarawak flights, defended the Federal Transport Ministry while attempting to shift attention towards the Sarawak government by questioning the operations of AirBorneo.

“Sarawak faces unique structural challenges. Unlike Peninsular Malaysia, it has no rail network, and its road infrastructure is not comparable in terms of connectivity and convenience. As such, air travel is not a luxury but an essential mode of transportation for many Sarawakians,” he said.

Lau said that the State government has taken proactive steps using its own funds to address these challenges, which include funding the construction of coastal trunk roads and more than 20 bridges to improve road connectivity.

In addition, it is investing in air connectivity through AirBorneo and by taking over the rural air service.

He elaborated that the current setup of AirBorneo is service-oriented, focused on serving the rural communities in Sarawak rather than operating on a purely commercial basis, and that the Sarawak government is now working to expand AirBorneo into commercial routes, including overseas destinations, which requires time and significant investment to build up capacity.

“To compare AirBorneo with AirAsia and claim that it is charging exorbitant fares while enjoying a monopoly in Sarawak is to miss the point entirely. The national airline, MAS, ceased servicing intra-Sarawak routes several years ago.

“This allowed AirAsia to become the dominant—and essentially monopolistic—service provider. However, this dominance does not give it a licence to charge exorbitant prices.

“It would be more appropriate for DAP to question why MAS has not been asked to recommence domestic flights within Sarawak, rather than criticising the Sarawak government, which is taking the right steps by establishing and developing AirBorneo,” he said.

He later claimed that Sarawak DAP seemed to be prioritising defending the transport minister, as he is also a member of DAP, and has failed to view the issue as one that concerns the people and the economy of Malaysia in general, and Sarawak in particular, not a party-political matter.

“Sarawak is an equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia and deserves fair attention and meaningful support from the federal government.

“This matter should not be framed as a political contest between a Sarawak-based political party and a national political party leader who happens to helm a federal ministry,” he said.

Recently, SUPP Central Youth chief Kevin Lau called on federal Transport Minister Anthony Loke to consider capping domestic airfares, noting that a one-way ticket from Sibu to Kuching can cost up to RM969.

The remarks later prompted a response from Michael Kong, special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, who alleged that AirBorneo charges higher fares for domestic routes within Sarawak compared to other airlines such as AirAsia. — DayakDaily