By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 27: The federal government will continue to provide subsidies to support rural air services, even after the Sarawak government assumes control of MASwings in the future.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke emphasised this assurance, underscoring the importance of enabling MASwings to continue providing essential air services to serve the people, especially in the remote regions of Sarawak and Sabah.
“This commitment was outlined in the Madani Budget 2024 announced by the Prime Minister (Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim) on Oct 20, 2023,” he said in a statement in response to a query from Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng during a parliamentary session on Monday (March 25).
Addressing Sng’s concerns about the ministry’s role post-handover and the federal government’s allocation of subsidies for MASwings’ operations, Loke affirmed: “Under the Sabah and Sarawak development agenda, the government has earmarked RM209 million for rural air services for this year.”
Loke emphasised that while rural air services are not economically viable, they remain a vital mode of transportation for the rural areas of Sarawak and Sabah, provided by the government.
“To sustain this service, the government allocates an annual subsidy of RM209 million to cover operational costs and aircraft rentals,” he added. — DayakDaily
