PAS Sabah urges immediate action over rising airfares

KOTA KINABALU (Aug 29): The federal government must take immediate and serious action to address the sharp increase in airfares to Sabah and Sarawak, said PAS Sabah Information Chief Mustaman Mustain.

He said the issue should not be viewed merely as a matter of market price fluctuations, as air travel had become an essential need for Sabahans, particularly those from lower-income groups, for family matters, education, employment and emergencies.

“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 in a statement on Saturday.

Mustaman, who is also 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.

He said the government should also establish a regular airfares monitoring system to detect unusual price increases early and take action before they became a burden on consumers.

Meanwhile, Mustaman said the impact of rising airfares extended beyond passengers, with hotel operators, transport providers, tourism businesses and other local businesses also affected when tourists postponed visits to Sabah.

“For Sabahans, air travel is no longer a luxury but an essential means of connecting them with their families, employment, education and lives in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.