STUDY ANYTIME: Taib (third right) visiting an exhibition booth which was put up in conjunction with the ‘PPKS National Technical HRD Conference 2011’. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud kept mum yesterday when asked to comment on calls by the Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and several individuals that an airline be set up to cater specifically to Sarawak and Sabah.
The Chief Minister said he also preferred not to talk about the Malaysia Airlines (MAS)-AirAsia route rationalisation process yet.
“My main aim here is to launch a campaign to direct people’s attention to technical education. I don’t want to talk about route rationalisation and all that,” he remarked when met after opening the `National Technical Human Resource Development (HRD) Conference’.
In a news report published yesterday, Bintulu Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Datuk Sia Hiong Ngie suggested a joint venture be formed between MAS subsidiary MASwings and local aviation companies to service Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei.
He said the Chambers had received many complaints about the increasingly poor air services in the state, which also affected the sick in the rural areas.
Meanwhile, many prominent individuals have also expressed hope for local aviation company Hornbill Skyways to play a bigger role in the state.
PKR vice-president See Chee How, for one, said the state government should wake up because the rationalisation process could affect the state’s tourism industry seriously.
For instance, See said, the state government should object to the cancellation of Firefly’s Kuching-Kuala Lumpur route on Oct 31 and the Kuching-Johor route.
“It is also about time Sabah and Sarawak set up its own airline company,” he said.