Travellers from Sabah hit by tax hike

Poor conditions and facilities in Kota Kinabalu's Terminal 2 does not justify a tax increase.

KOTA KINABALU: An MP from Sabah has accused the federal government of cashing in on travellers from Sabah by hiking airport taxes in the state where infrastructure and development is limited compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

Kota Kinabalu parliamentarian Dr Hiew King Cheu described Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad’s (MAHB) increase of airport tax from RM18 to RM32 (one way) as ‘exploitative’ and ‘with no reason’.

Effective from Dec 1, the airport tax on the international routes at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal has been increased from RM18 to RM32, an increase of RM14 and for the Terminal 2 it has been increased from RM25 to RM32.

Hiew said the increase was abrupt and unjustifiable especially citing the poor condition and facilities at Terminal 2, the budget terminal.

He also noted that if the Terminal 2 is to be eventually closed down as planned earlier, the MAHB would not be spending money to improve the facilities there.

“The MAHB should not increase the airport taxes. We want the worth of our money,” he said, adding that the increment was ridiculous and was a form of “daylight robbery” on international and domestic travellers.

“The increase in the airport tax is very high and it has become a heavy burden to many people.

“Even the low-cost carrier AirAsia too has strongly protested such a move,” he noted.

‘Zero airfare but RM64 in taxes’

He pointed out that the high airport tax was squeezing thousands for Sabahans who have taken to using low cost airlines more regularly.

“Air Asia sometimes offers ‘zero fare’, but the expensive airport tax makes this look ridiculous.

“We fly with zero fare, but have to pay expensive air port tax of RM32 one way, or RM64 on return trip, where is the logic?” he asked.

Hiew questioned the rationale for the increase given that MAHB had made a huge profit from the airport taxes collected in the past and simply wanted to double up their profit because it could.

He said the first casualty of the government is its “People 1st” motto as far as Sabah was concerned and warned the government of the dire consequences in the coming general election, if it fails to resolve the issue soon.