By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 3: Covering nearly 10,000 square kilometres, Mulu in northern Sarawak is one of the largest state constituencies in Bumi Kenyalang.
Such a vast area naturally presents significant geographical challenges, particularly in terms of road access, as most existing routes are logging tracks that limit mobility to many settlements, according to a TVS news report citing Bernama.
For residents in this area, ‘naik belon’ — a local term for taking a flight — is not a luxury but a necessity.
Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala was quoted as saying that air transportation, specifically through the Rural Air Services (RAS), plays a crucial role in providing access to most villages and longhouses located in remote areas.
“Travelling by road can take between 7 to 13 hours from the nearest town, Miri, depending on the location and road conditions.
“Currently, there are five airports in Mulu, and we might hold the record as the only constituency in the country with that many airports… this shows just how vast this constituency is and how vital air connectivity is for us,” he said.
Bernama also reported that the Short Take-Off and Landing Airports (STOLports) in the Mulu state constituency are located in Mulu National Park, Bario, Long Banga, Long Seridan, and Long Lellang.
Subsidised by the federal government, RAS is a non-commercial air service operating in remote and sparsely populated areas of Sabah and Sarawak, where air transport is the primary mode of transportation and connection to the outside world.
RAS has been managed and operated by MASwings since 2007.
According to Gerawat, RAS remains the most efficient and cost-effective lifeline for the local communities in Mulu.
He said the community also heavily relies on RAS to bring in essential goods and supplies.
“Transporting goods via the logging roads is far and bumpy, and at times impassable due to landslides or collapsed bridges or culverts — it is more expensive than subsidised air transport.
“That’s why the government must continue subsidising RAS until safe and reliable roads are built to all destinations and villages around Mulu,” he said, adding that the current fare rates are reasonable, with senior citizens receiving discounts.
Gerawat also hopes that the terminal buildings at all five airports in the Mulu constituency will be upgraded and expanded.
“I hope Bario, which is the busiest RAS destination with three to four flights a day, will be upgraded to accommodate larger aircraft like the ATR, which can carry up to 60 passengers and a larger volume of cargo.
“Bario could become a transit point for flights to Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, and other major cities in Kalimantan such as Samarinda, Balikpapan, and Malinau.
“This would also generate more downstream economic opportunities for the local community,” he said.
On Feb 12, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the federal government will continue subsidising RAS in Sarawak and Sabah following the Sarawak government’s takeover of MASwings, the airline that operates the service.
Loke said RAS is a federal responsibility and the federal government has allocated RM209 million for RAS in Sarawak and Sabah this year.
MASwings currently operates 40 routes in Sarawak and Sabah using ATR72 and Twin Otter Viking aircraft. — DayakDaily
