KOTA KINABALU: The people of Sabah are urging all responsible parties to take early action to prevent soaring airfares during Aidilfitri.
However, they said the responsibility should not rest solely on the government. Airlines must play a major role, while private companies, especially government-linked corporations (GLCs), could also assist in easing travel for Sabahans returning home for the festive season.
Consumers Front of Sabah (CFOS) president Nordin Thani said the interventions, subsidies and promotional efforts should begin at least a week before Aidilfitri to allow people to secure tickets at lower prices.
"The subsidies provided by the government and the promotions by airlines are good initiatives to address this issue, but they are usually implemented just three days before the festive period during peak travel times.
"The promotion period should be extended to a week to give travellers more date options and reduce congestion during peak periods closer to Aidilfitri,” he told Bernama.
Nordin said to overcome congestion during peak periods, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and airline companies are urged to find ways to increase flight capacity during the Aidilfitri season to accommodate the high demand.
He suggested that airlines offer special "balik kampung” promotions for flights scheduled outside peak hours to ease the strain on peak-period travel.
"We understand that peak-hour flights are costly. That’s why I suggest scheduling flights at off-peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning, and promoting them as budget-friendly options for Sabahans returning home. Many Sabahans will take advantage of this, and the tickets will sell out quickly,” he added.
On February 25, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced that the government would continue its subsidy initiative, capping one-way airfares at RM499 for flights from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan during Aidilfitri.
National Consumer Foundation Malaysia Sabah branch chairman David Chan said the airfare subsidy was a proactive step to ease the financial burden on Sabahans, especially those working or studying outside the state, allowing them to reunite with their families for Aidilfitri.
"Aidilfitri holds a deep cultural and emotional significance for families, and affordable airfares allow families to gather and celebrate Syawal in a more meaningful way.
"The fare reduction proves the government’s commitment to addressing the issue of high travel costs often faced by the people from East Malaysia. We hope the government can expand this initiative by finding long-term solutions,” he said.
Mahathir Jalidin, 34, a finance officer in Klang, Selangor, suggested that GLCs consider offering additional subsidies or flight vouchers as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to assist employees from Sabah.
"This would not only help their workers but also showcase the company’s commitment to employee welfare while helping reduce booking congestion, in line with the government’s airfare subsidy initiative,” said Mahathir, who hails from Sandakan.
Meanwhile, Azizul Rahman, 29, a technician in Johor Baru originally from Kudat, proposed that airlines introduce a group booking system with promotional fares for the Sabah community in Peninsular Malaysia.
"For example, if 50 people from the same area or organisation want to travel home around the same time, they could book as a group at a more affordable rate,” he suggested.
He added that such a system would not only cut costs but also simplify logistics and strengthen community bonds among Sabahans in the peninsula. - Bernama
