RAS SUBSIDIES: A LIFELINE FOR SARAWAK'S REMOTE COMMUNITIES

By Ammar Shafiq Hamzah

KUCHING, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The skies remain a vital lifeline for East Malaysia’s remote communities, where rugged terrain and limited road infrastructure make air travel the most practical means of connection.

For decades, the Rural Air Services (RAS) has bridged these isolated areas, providing non-economic air services to remote and sparsely populated areas like Lahad Datu in Sabah and Ulu Baram in Sarawak, ensuring that residents could access essential services and connect with major towns within hours rather than days.

Initially set to conclude by December 2024, the federal government’s decision to extend RAS subsidies through the end of this year underscores its unwavering commitment to maintaining connectivity for rural communities.

To sustain the service, the federal government has allocated RM209 million annually to cover operating costs and aircraft leasing. MASwings operates 40 routes in Sarawak and Sabah, using ATR72 and Twin Otter Viking aircraft.

Telang Usan assemblyman Datuk Dennis Ngau lauded the subsidies, describing RAS as a ‘community service’ crucial for the people of Ulu Baram.

“The service, provided through the Long Akah Short Take-Off and Landing (STOLport) airport in Long San village, Ulu Baram, serves several surrounding villages. It significantly reduces travel time between Ulu Baram, Miri, and Marudi.

“Travelling by air cuts down the six-hour journey (to Miri and Marudi) by land to less than an hour. For those with medical emergencies, this can save lives,” he said, urging the government to maintain the current subsidised low fares.

In Ba’kelalan, where RAS has operated since the 1960s, air services remain indispensable for transporting goods, responding to emergencies, and connecting isolated villages.

“It was amazing that many of our people transported building materials like cement and zinc roofs through these RAS flights. Tourists visiting Ba’kelalan also rely on these flights,” its assemblyman, Baru Bian, said.

He also emphasised the importance of the Miri-Lawas-Miri route, noting that it remains essential despite the availability of alternative logging road access.

“This route is still needed because the alternative way is via Brunei, which is very inconvenient and requires a passport. I believe this sector will remain essential and should continue to be served by RAS,” he added.

Academician Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan, a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, also commended the government’s stance, calling it a moral duty to connect rural communities.

“RAS is inherently non-profitable due to its low passenger volume. Government subsidies are critical to sustaining it,” he said, adding that private airlines should also consider contributing to the service as part of their corporate social responsibility.

He further noted that the RAS subsidy should continue even after the Sarawak government’s acquisition of MASwings is finalised.

“RAS should not be viewed within the mindset of ‘making money or profit’, but must be balanced by social responsibility considerations to the people. Some routes may incur losses due to low demand, but it is the government’s moral obligation to provide connectivity to all of its people,” he said.

The recent completion of negotiations between the Sarawak government and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) on the takeover of MASwings Sdn Bhd marks a new chapter in RAS’s evolution. This transition brings opportunities and challenges as the state takes charge of managing these essential air links independently.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg recently announced that the state had finalised the takeover of MASwings, paving the way for the state to have its own airline.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke, when announcing the extension of the subsidies last October, said that after the takeover, the ministry would renegotiate a longer-term deal for the service.

-- BERNAMA