LIBARAN: Sabah UMNO Information Chief and Member of Parliament for Libaran, Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, has urged the government and airlines, particularly AirAsia, to consider providing subsidies or special fare discounts for the people of Sabah who wish to return home to vote in the Sabah State Election (PRN) on November 29.
He said that although AirAsia recently announced a special promotion “Jom Balik Undi” with fares as low as RM299 one way, this price is still deemed high for many Sabah residents, especially those from the middle and lower-income groups.
“With a fare of RM299 one way, the round trip from Sabah to Peninsular Malaysia amounts to nearly RM600 per person. This does not include baggage fees, airport taxes, and other expenses.
“In the current challenging economic climate, ordinary citizens find it difficult to bear such high costs just to fulfill their duty as voters,” he said in a statement today.
Suhaimi also reminded that AirAsia had previously received funding of RM300 million from the Sabah Development Bank (SDB) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was approved during the administration of former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
He noted that to date, the total repayment to SDB is only around RM170 million, indicating that there is still a significant outstanding balance owed to the state-owned financial institution.
“On moral and social justice grounds, AirAsia should demonstrate responsibility to the state that once helped them survive. Offering special fares below RM300 for round trips to Sabah voters would be a testament to the company’s sensitivity towards the people,” he stated.
He added that this move would not only reflect corporate social responsibility (CSR) but also return the benefits of state government assistance to the people, rather than solely to corporate profits.
“If the RM300 million from SDB once aided AirAsia during tough times, then lowering ticket prices for the people of Sabah would be a fitting gesture.
The Election Commission (EC) has set the nomination date for the Sabah state election on November 15, while the early voting and polling days are scheduled for November 25 and 29, respectively.
On October 6, the Chief Minister of Sabah announced the dissolution of the State Assembly to pave the way for the 17th Sabah state election.
The Sabah State Assembly consists of 79 seats, with 73 of them contested, while the remaining six are appointed members of the State Assembly (ADUN).
Source – UMNO Online
