The State Government should follow Sarawak’s move in establishing its own airline as a new economic branch, says Kuamut Assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah.
He said the proposal should be given high priority on Sabah’s development agenda because it promises potential investment.
“The time has come for Sabah to start looking into establishing its own aviation business as a long-term investment. Sabah needs to establish its own airline for the benefit of its people, in addition to contributing to domestic development,” he said in a statement.
The Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Vice President claimed the existing national airlines always bullied the people of Sabah and Sarawak by increasing the price of airfares during the festive seasons.
“When a festival approaches, airline companies take advantage of the opportunity to reap profits by raising the flight ticket price by up to 500 per cent.
“I am disappointed that the people of Sabah and Sarawak, who are mostly students and low-income workers in the peninsula, have to work hard just to buy flight tickets back to Borneo.
“While in the peninsula, the Federal Government spend RM93 million on toll subsidies for four days during this year’s Aidilfitri celebration.
“The people of Sabah and Sarawak are always overlooked in the distribution of subsidies despite the fact that these two states contribute the most to the national economy,” he said.
He urged the Malaysia Madani Government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to ensure that peninsula and Borneo residents receive equal subsidies.
He said during the upcoming State Legislative Assembly session on May 23-25, he would table a proposal for the State Government to establish its own airline.
He was optimistic that the State Government would be able to implement the new idea because it is deemed necessary to assist Sabah residents, government officials and leaders in travelling back and forth between the peninsula and Sabah with cheap and affordable airfares.
