The idea of establishing Sarawak’s own airline was proposed after the Sarawak government had taken into account various factors, said the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Speaking to reporters after a function here yesterday, he said it is necessary for Sarawak to have its own airline, especially in the run-up to the festive seasons, during which the price of air tickets seem to be soaring.
According to him, for that reason, the government needs to implement the initiative even though the establishment of its own airline is not an easy matter.
“We can look at Malaysia Airlines (MAS) or AirAsia and the establishment of these companies is not something easy. But we (the government) need to provide it especially since Sarawak is on an island.
“It also provides more choices especially for Sarawakians from abroad or the peninsula to return to Sarawak at a reasonable price,” he said.
Abdul Karim was asked to comment on Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii’s recent remarks, in which the MP questioned idea of establishing the airline, while also calling on the state government to reveal the cost of its setting-up.
In this regard, the minister explained that the establishment of the proposed airline is not to make profit, but rather to help the people of Sarawak in terms of easy travel and to improve the tourism industry.
For this reason, he hoped that Dr Yii would support this effort as it is one of the measures to reduce the burden borne by the people.
Regarding the name of the airline, Abdul Karim said they had not come to that stage.
“I hope there will be a good name and I believe it will not be easy to implement because many things need to be managed which involve very expensive costs,” he explained.
The Borneo Post
