A Sarawak airline? Why not?

A few days ago, Sarawak chief minister Abang Johari Openg disclosed that Sarawak is keen to set up its own airline very soon.

He said the state government was trying to revisit the old proposal, where it expressed an interest in taking over MASWings, but its owner, Malaysia Airlines then, was reluctant to sell it.

“Sarawak is currently working out the details of a proposal to set up its own airline company. We have a few options to have our own small airline connecting Kuching with other strategic destinations in the region,” Abang Johari said at a Kuching event on Feb 1.

I support Abang Jo’s proposal for Sarawak to have its own airline. I think this is the first major plan of the chief minister since he became Sarawak’s chief executive two years ago which earns my support.

I recall shooting down the chief minister’s interest in building an LRT for the greater Kuching and Samarahan divisions about a year ago.

I stated then that we do not have the volume to make an LRT viable. While it must be recognised that Kuching is in need of better public transportation, the multi-billion ringgit project is not a priority at this time and is not worth the huge investment we couldn’t really afford.

I do not believe in spending RM5 billion from the state coffers on a project which will only see profitable returns probably 20 years later. An LRT should not be a priority of the Abang Jo administration.

Improving the road network with more lanes and flyovers and setting up a better traffic system is the answer today for the greater Kuching city.

Why do I support a Sarawak airline? This is something totally different. I will repeat here what I had stated seven years ago when I proposed that a Borneo Airways be established by Sabah and Sarawak.

This is not a matter of Sarawakian pride but one of necessity to attract more tourism dollars to the Land of the Hornbills, serve the needs of the people better and accelerate economic growth in the region.

Never too late

In my statement on June 22, 2012, I supported the proposal by Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Umno) to the government to award another low-cost carrier licence.

I also suggested that the new licence is given to the Sarawak and Sabah governments to jointly establish an airline to serve the interests of the people in the two regions.

“Since Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is beyond salvation and AirAsia has become a ‘bully airline’, Sabah and Sarawak should start thinking seriously of the increasing demands of their travelling citizens.

“The new airline can also cater for the greater Borneo and the Asean region and it can be called Borneo Airways. An airline owned by Sabah and Sarawak is long overdue,” I said.

I also proposed that former minister and ex-MAS managing director Idris Jala be brought in to helm the new airline.

“What’s required now is the political will of the Sabah and Sarawak governments to venture into the airline industry which should not be considered ‘unchartered territory’ now,” I had stated.

What is indeed surprising is that a year later, in 2013, the government gave out another low-budget carrier licence to allow a private Indonesia/Malaysia partnership to establish Malindo Air.

Malindo Air’s main shareholder is Lion Air and the new airline was set up in a kind of ‘tit-for-tat’ move after AirAsia’s ‘intrusion’ into Indonesia. Six years later, Malindo Air is doing pretty well serving 42 destinations within Asean, including Kuching.

Indeed, more competition in the skies is good for the travelling public.

If only Sarawak had applied to the federal government then for a low-budget carrier before Malindo Air entered the scene six years ago. But it’s never too late.

No palm-greasing 

The Royal Brunei Airlines is another example of a successful airline operating out of Borneo. The national airline of Brunei is perhaps Borneo’s best-known international carrier, serving 18 regional and international destinations.

I see no reason why a Sarawak airline cannot be as successful as one from a nation of only 430,000 citizens and with a land mass of what has often been described as “two tiny dots on Borneo island”. Then again, size does not matter. Dynamic management and solid business acumen will eventually spell success.

In passing, Abang Jo also mentioned Hornbill Skyways which currently provides charter services within rural Sarawak. Perhaps the chief minister has Hornbill Skyways, which is state-owned, in mind when he declared that a Sarawak airline will be operating “very soon and according to his expectation”.

However, with its history of crashes, I’m not too sure if Hornbill Skyways is a suitable name for a new entity the chief minister has in mind.

No, not Hornbill Skyways please, for the name of the new Sarawak airline! Sorry, the name does not bring back good memories to the many family members of those killed in Hornbill Skyways crashes including those of Assistant Minister Judson Tagal who perished in a helicopter crash in 2004 together with six other prominent Sarawak personalities. Any other name is fine except for Hornbill Skyways.

Three days ago, I shared my thoughts on a Sarawak airline with Facebook friends, adding in a word of caution: “I'm glad that CM Abang Jo is now talking about a Sarawak airline. That is a move that should be supported by Sarawakians. The important thing is to see to it that competent people are brought in to do the job.

“And make sure that BN's 'normal' practice of having to fork out millions in so-called consultancy fees before the project even takes off does not happen this time”.

That is my main worry and that of many others too.

Gone should be the days of palm-greasing for middle-men and "con-men" in the guise of consultants. The people are watching and government expenditure on the start-up of the airline should be made public. Sarawakians expect nothing less than a clean and honest start to an airline they could proudly call their own.

Perhaps the chief minister will be happy to note that support for his proposed Sarawak airline far outweighs the sceptics. The public comments on social media are a good indication, as I’ve gathered.

So Abang Jo, go for the Sarawak airline, forget the LRT. Many Sarawakians are behind you on this one.

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com - Mkini