By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 5: It has been proposed that Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) undergo restructuring to involve the Sarawak and Sabah governments in addressing reduced flight frequencies and high airfares.
In a news report by TVS, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan suggested the restructuring would include establishing three sub-regional authorities for Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia.
“I understand this setup mirrors the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE (United Arab Emirate), which has sub-regional authorities for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah,” he said when debating the 2025 Supply Bill at the policy stage in Parliament on Monday (Nov 4).
The Keningau MP pointed out that airfares as high as RM1,000 one-way contribute to declining tourist numbers in Sarawak and Sabah, which negatively impact the local economies.
He expressed hope that the federal government and the relevant minister would take action to address the reduction in flights and high ticket prices.
Meanwhile, Sipitang MP Datuk Matbali Musah praised the 2025 Budget presented by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, noting that the RM6.7 billion increase in Sabah’s development allocation respects the State’s rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“This additional funding will allow Sabah to continue development projects in the final year of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) next year,” he added. — DayakDaily
