KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC) said skyrocketing Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur airfares pose a threat to family unity, student welfare, business viability and national integration.
SICC President Datuk Jothi Veeramani said federal intervention is necessary as air travel is not a luxury but a lifeline for Sabahans and Sarawakians “The South China Sea must never be allowed to separate Malaysian families economically,” he said in a statement.
“National integration cannot be achieved through slogans alone. Malaysians must be able to physically meet one another,” he added.
A one-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu surged to RM1,329 on Aug 14, while Tawau-Kuala Lumpur fares hit a staggering RM1,759 on Aug 15 — compared to RM259-RM269 during off-peak periods.
The massive price swing left students, families and businesses struggling to keep up, it said.
Students are among the hardest hit. While the FLYsiswa programme offers RM400 in annual assistance, SICC noted the sum is inadequate when one-way fare alone can top RM1,000.
“A student should not have to remain away from his or her parents simply because the cost of returning home has become unaffordable,” Jothi said, calling for the scheme to be expanded to cover two subsidised return journeys per academic year.
To fix the crisis, SICC is pushing for a permanent East Malaysia-Peninsular Malaysia Air Connectivity Framework that would impose reasonable fare ceilings during peak travel periods, expanded travel assistance for students, B40/M40 households, seniors and medical travellers, extra flight capacity ahead of holiday seasons and full transparency with regular public reporting of fare trends across all major routes.
The Chamber warned that exorbitant fares are eroding Sabah’s economic competitiveness — hurting tourism, discouraging investment, raising business costs and limiting professional mobility.
