{
  "id": 3705081,
  "title": "High airfares keep Sabahan from attending sister's funeral",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/high-airfares-keep-sabahan-from-attending-sisters-funeral",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T08:23:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/08/1519987/high-airfares-keep-sabahan-attending-sisters-funeral"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah commissioner, Md Suhaimi Sapiee, was unable to attend his sister's funeral in Peninsular Malaysia due to exorbitant airfares, which also prevented only one of his two children from returning home during the recent semester break. The 48-year-old from Selangor revealed that airfares had exceeded RM1,000 per person, making it unaffordable for him and his family to travel frequently between Sabah and the mainland. His 84-year-old mother, who is in poor health, also faced a difficult decision over her travel plans due to the high costs. Former journalist Amy Dangin, 41, expressed her shock at the high one-way flight ticket prices, which now cost RM412 per person, up from RM300 to RM400 in the past. She had to bring only her youngest child to Sabah for a family visit, as the cost was too high for the others. Law student Billy Campbell Peter, 21, from Kuala Lumpur, will also have to spend around RM400 for a one-way flight back to Kuala Lumpur after his internship, due to the high airfare costs. The surge in airfares to Sabah and Sarawak has affected not only Malaysians working in the Peninsular but also residents of the two states, especially those from the B40 group.",
  "summary": "KOTA KINABALU: High airfares prevented a commissioner for oaths working in Sabah, Md Suhaimi Sapiee, from paying his respects to his sister in Peninsular Malaysia, who died on June 5.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}