THE cost of flight tickets from West Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak has increased significantly since the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) and the trend has continued even now when the Government has already allowed interstate travel.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has vowed to raise the issue in Parliament, especially on what the Government plans to do to regulate and control flight ticket prices.
“[The increasing ticket prices have] been a huge burden on East Malaysians, especially to those who want to travel back either for work or even a trip to be with family,” he said in a Facebook post.
According to Yii, recent checks on airlines websites revealed that what used to cost between RM300 to RM500 for a two-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching can now cost up to RM3,000 or more.
“We have received multiple complaints from the public intending to travel home, including doctors and other frontliners who intend to travel home for a short rest after their [busy schedules] at the hospitals in the Peninsular during the peak of the COVID-19 period,” he remarked.
“[They have been] unable to do so due to the excessive price of tickets. Not only that, but the frequency of flights is still so limited, which may be the main reason causing the prices to go up so exorbitantly.
“This is even after the assurance by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) that flight frequencies will be increased starting Oct 1, 2021.”
According to Yii, high ticket cost also affects many other things including the cost of doing business for some small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as some companies require frequent travel between regions for business purposes.
The pricey flight tickets will increase the cost of business and will not only burden the companies but consumers as well, he added.
“On top of that, with rumours of an impending Sarawak State Elections, all efforts must be made to allow eligible Sarawakians to travel back to vote safely without being burdened by heavy cost of tickets or logistical obstacles to protect their democratic right to vote.
“That is why I urge both the Transport Ministry and SDMC to properly engage and have a more comprehensive discussion with all airlines and aviation authorities such as Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and other relevant stakeholders to come up with a better arrangement and flight schedules to holistically address this problem,” he elaborated. – Oct 27, 2021
