Kota Kinabalu: 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 Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid.
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 will see at the Kaamatan Festival and Gawai Day celebrations so that this problem does not arise again,” he said.
Ahmad 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 Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s proposal, regarding the creation of the Borneo Civil Aviation Authority to regulate the aviation industry in Sabah and Sarawak, 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 (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions), Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also a Member of Parliament for Papar, will bring this issue to the Cabinet,” he said.
