KOTA KINABALU - Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has urged airline companies to not only think of profits by increasing the prices of airline tickets.
Bung who is also the assemblyman for Lamag said lately he found ticket prices skyrocketing especially for domestic routes
"For Ramadan this year showed an absurd hike in domestic flights, an AirAsia one way ticket from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu was RM700.
"Three days ago I contacted the Transport Ministry and asked for additional flights between Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu and the Minister said the airline companies agreed to increase flights on April 18th to 20th,” he wrote in Facebook post on Sunday.
He added that Sabahans would like to return home for the festive seasonbut the increase in prices continue to burden them.
"The ticket prices are too expensive and it is unacceptable for those with a sound mind. Thousands of ringgit just for a one way ticket with some reaching RM3,000. I am urging the Transport Minister to discuss with airline companies not to put this burden on people.
"Not everyone from Sabah is capable of paying such expensive fare, they simply want to return and meet with their families once a year.
"We understand that the airline company Firefly will begin operating domestically in Sabah in May. Any airline company performing aid operations should not be focused on reaping profits, don’t torture the Sabahans ,” he said.