Kota Kinabalu: PAS Sabah information chief Mustaman Mustsin said the Government must move beyond complaints and implement targeted solutions, including emergency fare schemes and reserved flight capacity, before connectivity becomes unaffordable for East Malaysians.
He said air travel is not a luxury but a lifeline for Sabah and Sarawak, calling for policies that tackle both price and capacity gaps that drive costs out of reach for ordinary citizens and businesses alike.
“The Federal Government must take immediate and serious action to address the sharp increase in airfares to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
“Reports of Sabahans having to cancel trips due to the death of family members, families being stranded in their hometowns for almost two months and university students worried about being unable to return to their places of study show that this issue is already having a real impact on people’s lives,” he said.
The PAS Sandakan secretary said several measures should be considered, including the establishment of a People’s Emergency Fare Scheme for travel involving family deaths, critical health conditions and verified family emergencies.
He said the Government should also consider extending subsidised fares to other peak periods, such as school and semester holidays, instead of limiting such assistance to festive seasons.
Another proposal was for the Government to negotiate with airlines to reserve part of their capacity on Sabah-Peninsular Malaysia routes at reasonable fares during periods of high demand.
“This would be better than simply increasing subsidies because the problem is not just about prices; flight capacity also plays a role,” he said.
Mustaman also suggested advance purchases or “block bookings” of flight capacity for critical routes such as Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur, Sandakan-Kuala Lumpur and Tawau-Kuala Lumpur.
“The Government should also establish a regular airfares monitoring system to detect unusual price increases early and take action before they become a burden on consumers.”He said the rising airfares extended beyond passengers, with hotel operators, transport providers, tourism businesses and other local businesses also affected when tourists postponed visits to Sabah.