Timely, appropriate for S’wak to have own airline, says SUPP Dudong chief

SIBU (Nov 14): Sarawak’s goal to have its own airline is very appropriate given the frequent reduction and even cessation of flights, along with soaring ticket prices by the present airlines.

In saying this in a press statement yesterday, Wong Ching Yong, the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman, pointed out that this is particularly so for outbound flights from Sibu, which have not only seen frequencies decreasing, but the prices are consistently on the rise, often reaching astonishing levels.

To prove his point, the SUPP Dudong chairman cited fares for flights on Nov 17 which he claimed were inconsistent and exorbitantly high.

“On that day, the ticket price for Malaysia Airlines flight MH2717 from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur started from RM1,234.18, and for AirAsia flight AK5877, it was RM919.

“However, for a Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong flight, which had double the flight duration, Malaysia Airlines offered tickets for as low as RM,187, and AirAsia even lower at RM429.

“With such price inconsistencies, one has to ask Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia: are you blatantly taking advantage of Sarawak, especially Sibu residents?”

Wong stressed this is unfair to the people of Sibu, as air travel is their only choice to West Malaysia.

Even in the face of high airfares, Sarawakians or Sibu residents have no choice but to endure the airlines’ exploitation or mistreatment, he bemoaned.

“We cannot help but wonder: does the federal government, especially the Ministry of Transport, understand the situation and needs of the people of Sibu? And are the two well-paid Sibu Members of Parliament (MPs) continuously fighting for Sibu at the federal level?”

He continued to say that the two MPs namely DAP’s Alice Lau and Oscar Ling frequently travelled between Sibu and Kuala Lumpur by air.

“Logically, they should be well aware of the flight situation. However, perhaps their airfares are covered by the government, they do not personally realise the hardships faced by ordinary citizens.

“Therefore, besides the time when they were in opposition, we rarely see them speaking out on Sibu’s air transportation issues,” said Wong.

He added: “In contrast, the Sarawak GPS government, especially our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari, has been diligently working to ease the burden on the people of Sarawak when using air services.

“This includes providing subsidies for air tickets specifically to meet the demand for important festive season travel for students. Now, the Sarawak government is also preparing to have its own airline. Abang Johari’s decision is undoubtedly a timely and wise move.”

He pointed out that the airfares from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur are actually more expensive than international flights from Kuala Lumpur, and voiced concern that this is bound to impact local tourism and economic development.

Most importantly, many locals have to travel by air to West Malaysia for livelihood, education, medical reasons and more, making it an extremely heavy burden for everyone, he said.

Moreover, in this situation, while the federal government encourages people from East and West Malaysia to have greater communication, the people may hesitate to travel due to the astonishingly high fares, he pointed out.

The urgent issue regarding air services that Transport Minister Anthony Loke needs to address, he added, is not just about ticket prices.

“The repeated reduction in outbound flights from Sibu, including the decreased frequencies to Kuala Lumpur or the cessation of flights to Singapore, requires the minister’s intervention. It cannot be left to the people of Sibu to bear the brunt of flight issues without any resolution,” stressed Wong.

In this regard, he also urged Lau and Ling not to disappoint the voters of Sibu by being sensitive to the needs of the people.

“Having gained strong support from the people of Sibu and receiving high salaries of tens of thousands each month, the two DAP parliamentarians should not say they were powerless to help the people when they were in the opposition and then claim helplessness when in power.”

To address these woes, he proposed that in the preliminary stages before the proposed Sarawak-owned airline starts operation, the federal Ministry of Transport should ensure convenient and reasonable flight services for the people of Sarawak.