KUCHING: The federal government should look into addressing the high costs of flight tickets from Malaya to Sarawak or Sabah now that interstate travels are allowed, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
He was alluding to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement on Sunday on the implementation of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) from June 10 until August 31 to replace the current conditional movement control order (CMCO).
In his remarks, Dr Yii said many Sarawakians working in Malaya were overly burdened with the exorbitant prices of flight tickets.
“While we understand that the airline industries need to deal with the new practices of social distancing and other precautions, they should not be too burdensome to the people.
“The government should engage with the airline industries for a way forward including introducing subsidies or setting a ceiling price for flights between the regions,” he said when asked to comment on the matter.
Dr Yii added that interstate or inter-district travel, especially from zones with higher infection rates, should continue to be regulated with strict precautions.
“I welcome the introduction of the RMCO until August 31, especially to allow more sectors and even activities to resume while still taking a cautious approach towards activities involving big gatherings including some leisure activities.
“While I understand the need to open up interstate travel to help with the running of certain businesses and ensuring the supply chains are not disrupted.
“I am, however, cautious about its effects, especially on the possibility of asymptomatic carriers crossing zones and possibly affecting even those in the green zones,” he added.
Despite the relaxation of some of the restrictions under the CMCO, Dr Yii reminded the people to refrain from taking it as an excuse to lax on other necessary precautions.
“For me, the opening of more sectors and activities means we need to be stricter with our own personal hygiene and precautions including washing of hands, wearing of masks and practising of social distancing,” he added.
