Thumbs up for the Malaysia Day logo by Masidi (fifth left), Capt Nawawi (fourth left) and Joniston (sixth left)
KOTA KINABALU: MASwings, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, will be showing its patriotic spirit through specially designed 50th Malaysia Day logo that will be featured on its aircraft.
The move, which is held in conjunction with this year’s Independence and Malaysia Day celebrations, is also aimed at paying tribute to the nation’s spirit of unity.
Its caption, which consist of the logo with the Jalur Gemilang featured within the number ‘0’, plus the salutation ‘Tahniah Sabah dan Sarawak’, will be painted on the new MASwings ATR72-600 and DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft for MASwings’ operations within East Malaysia.
At the peak of the number ‘5’ on the logo is a symbol of the Hornbill’s beak, while the tail of the number is a symbol of the rich flora and fauna that can be found in Sabah and Sarawak.
Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who was impressed with the initiative taken by MASwings, has urged other corporate sectors to take heed of the project to help improve public awareness on the historical moment.
“The corporate sector should play their role to help improve and promote the importance and better understanding of Malaysia Day,” he said, adding that the move is seen as a gift for Malaysians to mark the fifth decade of the formation of Malaysia.
Musa said this in his speech, read by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun. Also present were MASwings chief executive officer, Datuk Captain Nawawi Awang and Sabah Tourism Board chairman, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
He hoped that Malaysians will reflect on the shared history, whereby the two Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, together with the Federation of Malaya, and Singapore, helped form a new country, Malaysia. Singapore, however, left Malaysia later.
“This is our history and one that we are all very proud of today. Malaysia Day, which falls on September 16, is a historic occasion, one that brought together the people of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya. In the last five decades, we have overcomed many challenges and seen transformation in many sectors.
“The aviation sector too has gone through phases of growth and today, air travel has become a lot more accessible with the introduction of community and budget airlines,” he said.
Musa said tourism is an important sector of Sabah’s economy, and it is featured prominently in the Sabah Development Corridor and Economic Transformation Plan (ETP). It is doing well and is projected to achieve more milestones in the future.
“To ensure the continued success of the sector, air accessibility is crucial. We now have a number of direct flights from regional cities to Kota Kinabalu, bringing in tourists from different parts of the world,” he said, stressing that the airline’s roles are important to ensure the target is met.
Meanwhile, Nawawi, in his speech, disclosed that they are equally happy to be able to play their part in celebrating the 50th Malaysia Day.
“This is a historic celebration for the whole nation. The caption is our way of congratulating the people of Sabah and Sarawak, especially both the state governments, for the significant development and economic growth of both states during the last 50 years,” he said.
He said in addition, MASwings was proud to connect the people of Sabah, Sarawak, the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines – East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region and beyond through its existing seamless connectivity with the holding company, Malaysia Airlines.
And in conjunction with Malaysia Day, Nawawi said they are going to have a special promotion on airfare called ‘Everyday Low Fare’ on all domestic sectors which will be launched on September 16 this year.
“This is the very first time that MASwings has come up with a very special fare with up to 80 per cent being offered especially dedicated to all valued customers,” he said, adding that booking period will be from September 16 to December 17, 2013 and travelling period from October 1 to December 31, 2013.
All bookings will be available through MASwings website at www.maswings.com.my or contact the MASwings Call centre at 1-300-88-3000, or visit MASwings, MAS ticketing office or the nearest travel agents.