malaysiang
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been called to restructure the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) by giving a role to the Sabah and Sarawak governments in the agency to deal with the issue of reduced flights and skyrocketing ticket prices. Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan said the restructuring includes the proposed creation of three sub regional authorities, covering Sabah, Sarawak, and the Peninsula.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kitingan highlighted that this structure mirrors the model used by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE, which has sub-regional authorities for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. He emphasized that the soaring ticket prices, reaching RM1,000 one way, had reduced the number of tourists to Sabah and Sarawak and affected the local economies of these states. He urged the federal government and relevant ministers to address the issue of reduced flights and high airline ticket prices.
Meanwhile, Datuk Matbali Musah (GRS-Sipitang) praised Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for increasing the development allocation for Sabah to RM6.7 billion through Budget 2025. He stated that this move demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to fulfilling the rights of Sabah as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). This allocation allows Sabah to pursue development projects in the final year of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) next year.
Matbali acknowledged that while Sabah’s challenging geography means the allocation is not wholly sufficient, it helps to balance the annual development gap and imbalance. He further noted that Budget 2025 sends a clear message of Putrajaya’s commitment to bridging the development gap by providing basic facilities such as roads, water, and electricity.
