Cheaper flights home for Sarawak polls? Abang Johari fears bribery claims
KUCHING, Nov 14 — The Sarawak caretaker administration is cautious about proposals for state-owned carrier AirBorn...
The Sarawak caretaker administration expressed concerns over proposals for state-owned carrier AirBorneo to provide special discounted airfares for voters traveling home during the 13th Sarawak Election. Caretaker Premier Abang Johari Openg stated that while the administration is receptive to aiding Sarawakians in their travel plans, any fare reductions must strictly adhere to election laws and steer clear of creating suspicions of vote-buying.
Abang Johari clarified that providing special discounts might be misconstrued by political opponents and critics as an attempt to influence votes, which could be portrayed negatively in the media. He further highlighted that the government has to exercise caution as there are quarters that will attempt to spin such initiatives. However, Abang Johari acknowledged that AirBorneo already offered fixed-rate fares at slightly over RM300, which could enable Sarawakians to return home affordably without needing a special sponsorship that might be misunderstood.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
