‘Ensure flight tickets affordable for Sarawakians to come back to vote’

KUCHING: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii calls on both federal and state governments to step in and ensure that flight ticket prices are more affordable for Sarawakians travelling back to Sarawak to vote during the 12th state election.

In suggesting this, he said both governments should find ways to incentivise the people to return to Sarawak to vote, adding that this can be done through a subsidy scheme by both governments in collaboration with all the airlines.

He added that the exorbitant prices, especially in the case of flights into Sarawak, was said to be due to the severely limited flight frequencies imposed by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), resulting in reduced number of flights – thus, leading to the sky-high prices beyond the affordability of any common Malaysian.

“However, even with the announcement by the state Minister of Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin on increasing flight frequency to Sarawak from 223 to 307 weekly starting Dec 11, the prices of flights into Sarawak around the election days are still high, which may serve as a deterrent for many to come back to carry out their constitutional duty to vote, “he said in a statement yesterday.

While there was news report saying that with the approval given for additional flights to Sarawak, airlines like AirAsia had dropped the price of tickets to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur to under RM200, Dr Yii said a quick search on their website did not show any availability of such flights at such prices, with very limited flights available at about RM300 one way, and many others still more than RM1,000 for one-way flights.

He added that even the cheaper-priced flights were limited and unable to cater for the demand, especially for those wanting to travel back to vote.

As such, Dr Yii proposed that flight tickets to and from Sarawak, as well as within Sarawak, to be offered at an affordable flat rate for a week – three days before and three days after the election on Dec 18.

Such prices, he added, should be offered for a few flights to cater for the demand and not just limited to a few seats.

“This has been done before and I am sure it can be done again. In conjunction with the 14th General Election in 2018, AirAsia offered fixed fares as low as RM99 to encourage Malaysians to return home to cast their ballots,” he said.