Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. - Filepic/The Star
KOTA KINABALU: The proposal for the establishment of a Borneo Aviation Authority for Sabah and Sarawak should be taken to the Cabinet, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said this proposal should be handled and followed up by the federal minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also Papar MP.
“I hope the minister will take this issue to the Cabinet,” he said when asked about the proposal by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, was speaking to reporters during his visit yesterday to Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Kota Kinabalu, which has since been renamed MRSM Tan Sri Musa Aman Kota Kinabalu.
Last week, Jeffrey made the suggestion to resolve “expensive and unreasonable” airfares faced by people in the two states.
He said the time had come to set up a body to regulate and look after the aviation industry in Sabah and Sarawak, adding that there have been reports of issues and delays in the handling of aviation matters in Sabah by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.Ahmad Zahid said efforts are being made to look into costly air tickets for travel between east and west Malaysia, especially during festive and holiday seasons.
These include discussions on setting up boutique airways not only between Sabah and Sarawak but also for travel from these two states to Peninsular Malaysia and back.
The Transport Ministry, he added, is also negotiating with airline companies.
“I hope for the coming Kaamatan and Gawai festivals, we will not see this issue surface again and we will be monitoring it,” said Ahmad Zahid.
He said for the peninsula, a four-day toll-free offer was given but no such good news was made for Sabahans and Sarawakians wanting to return to their hometowns during this Raya.
“We at the federal level are concerned about these issues and are trying to find ways to resolve them,” he added.
