KUCHING: The federal Ministry of Transport will continue its commitment to subsidise the Rural Air Services (RAS) in the event it is taken over by the Sarawak government.
Minister of Transport Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the subsidy given to MASWings will be continued, adding that the subsidy is about RM210 million a year for both Sabah and Sarawak.
“That we will continue, even if they take over right now. As far as we are concerned, RAS will not be disrupted, the passengers will not be affected.
“The service must go on, that is our main objective and condition,” he said after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony on the acquisition of RAS by the state government at Riverside Majestic Hotel here today.
He added that a new Agreement for Rural Air Services will be negotiated once Sarawak takes over RAS for 2025 and beyond because the current agreement is for the end of 2024.
He explained the purpose of the MoU is the ministry’s commitment to continue to facilitate RAS once it is taken over by the state government.
Loke added with the signing of the memorandum, no other party will take over the air services other than Sarawak.
“It’s a very important commitment to display, to show our sincerity from the federal government that we want to work closely with Sarawak for the benefit of people in both Borneo states.
“This is because RAS is an essential service for many rural areas and there are no other modes of transport besides air connectivity for them.
“In the future, there might be other options available once the state government takes over RAS, such as the use of helicopters other than planes like the current ATR72 and Twin Otter,” he said.
