Sky-high ticket prices denying frontliners a break to visit family – MP

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii

KUCHING (Oct 28): The exorbitant price of flight tickets from Peninsular Malaysia to Sarawak and Sabah is preventing overworked frontliners from taking even a short break to visit their families now that inter-state travel is allowed, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.

He said a recent check on the websites of all airlines showed that a Kuala Lumpur-Kuching return ticket is now priced at RM3,000 and above, from what used to be between RM300 and RM500.

“That’s more than 1,000 per cent increase. We have received multiple complaints from the public intending to travel home – doctors and other frontliners who just intend to travel back for a short rest after their busy posting in one of their hospitals in the peninsula during the peak of the Covid-19 period, but are unable too due to the excessive price of tickets.

“This is an issue that I will raise in Parliament, especially on the government’s plans on how to regulate and control such prices which are a huge burden to East Malaysians,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Yii said lack of flights could be the main reason behind the high ticket prices, but wondered why the situation remained as such especially after the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had assured that flight frequency to the state would be increased starting Oct 1.

The issue of high flight ticket prices should be properly addresses especially with the Sarawak government’s desire to promote more local tourism, he added.

“High ticket prices also affect a lot of things, including the cost of doing business for some SMEs. Some companies require frequent travel between the regions for business.

“This will definitely increase the cost of business and will not only burden the companies, but this cost may be passed on to the consumers as well.”

Moreover, Yii said with the Sarawak election likely to be held anytime soon, all efforts must be made to allow eligible voters to travel back without being burdened by travel costs.

“That is why I urge both the Ministry of Transport and SDMC to properly engage and have a more comprehensive discussion with all airlines and aviation authorities such as the Malaysian Aviation Commission, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad and other relevant stakeholders, to come up with better arrangements and flight schedules to holistically address this problem,” he said.

from Borneo Post Online https://ift.tt/3nxJjNj
via IFTTT