Premier: Airlines involved in rural air services should ‘go outside the box’ to serve people better

Abang Johari greets Tan Sri William Mawan and other guests at the open house. – Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING (April 23): Airline companies involved in rural air services should “go outside the box” to serve the people better, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Abang Johari said he had suggested to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the possibility of using a big helicopter that can accommodate up to 20 passengers to serve the rural routes that are subsidised by the government.

He explained this could save costs in building airports and also in maintaining aircraft such as the Twin Otter.

“Now there is a new helicopter that can accommodate 20 passengers, why you have to use the old Twin Otter, then you don’t have to build airport, and then you can access to all the rural kampung and can bring cargo (as well)

“I told (this to) the PM last week. I think the people in aviation has to go outside the box. It is not like before when there was no big helicopter.

“Now there is such helicopter. And now you got saving from the (doing the runway for the) airport,” he told the media at his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house on Borneo Convention Centre Kuching yesterday.

On another matter, Abang Johari said he will go ahead with his plan to announce findings of a breakthrough study related to green and renewable energy next month.

“Next month I will announce a study that we have successfully explored related to green energy, which I feel in the long run will give better results to Sarawak.

“This is an incentive for our scientists to explore new fields and for this reason, I have added our scientists at the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre,” he said.

According to him, the announcement will be made before the coming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting scheduled to start on May 15.

“This is a breakthrough from the point of view of green energy and also renewable energy that is very much desired by the world today

“Hopefully it will bring joy to the people of Sarawak,” he said.

To a question, he said the research had something to do with algae and plants found in Sarawak.

On March 22, Abang Johari had said he will be announcing a world’s first and Sarawak-produced technology in two months’ time.

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