EXPENSIVE flight tickets are stopping voters from returning home to vote in the Sarawak elections, said Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim today.

He in a statement today said the prices are affecting many Sarawak folk working in Pasir Gudang, Johor.

“Flight ticket prices from the peninsula to Sarawak have gone up drastically and are not affordable to Sarawak folk working at factories in Pasir Gudang.”

The Transport Ministry must take action against airlines that take advantage of the situation to make a profit, he added.

“I urge the ministry to interfere and take stern action against airlines taking advantage of the situation and preventing Sarawak folk from going home to cast their ballots.”

Hassan said the move to hike up ticket prices is against the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Mechanism to Determine Unreasonably High Profit for Goods) Regulations 2016.

“They are purposely increasing the prices to make a profit, which means only rich individuals are able to go back to vote in Sarawak.”

Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong must explain why airfares to Miri, Sarawak, cost more than tickets to Dubai from Malaysia, he added.

He questioned if the sudden price hike is a ploy to prevent voters from returning home.

Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii had earlier this week urged the federal government to find ways to lower ticket prices for flights to Sarawak.

He said price control for three days before and after the polls is necessary to encourage voters working in the peninsula to return home to vote.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had yesterday said it has received approval to increase the frequency of flights from 21 to 35 a week to Sarawak.

The frequency of flights for the Kuala Lumpur-Bintulu, Kuala Lumpur-Miri and Kuala Lumpur-Sibu routes will be increased from seven to 14.

For the travel period next month, MAS said it has filed an average one-way fare of RM350 from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, beginning October.

Sarawak will go to the polls on December 18. – November 27, 2021.