Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.
– Eddie Rickenbacker, US fighter pilot
OF course, I am in total support of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg’s proposed Sarawak boutique airline.
Why not, when I wanted Sarawak to have one some years ago and also made it known publicly? Eleven years ago to be exact — in 2012, I suggested that Sarawak should have an airline to call her own.
In a press statement I issued on June 22, 2012, as leader of the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), I expressed support for an UMNO MP’s call to the federal government to award another low-cost carrier licence.
The MP had complained about AirAsia, saying the airline had continued to come up with ‘ingenious’ plans to impose unfair charges on passengers. I shared the MP’s frustrations and disillusionment with AirAsia.
I also suggested that the new licence be given to the Sarawak and Sabah governments to jointly establish an airline to serve the interests of East Malaysians.
“Since Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is beyond salvation and AirAsia has become a ‘bully airline’, East Malaysia should start thinking seriously of the increasing demands of their travelling citizens,” I said then.
“The new airline can also cater for the greater Borneo and the ASEAN region and it can be called Borneo Airways.
“Sarawak also has a ready airline boss in one of her sons, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, (the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in 2012) who could helm a new airline.
“Idris has done well in MAS and he would also have a ready pool of airline staff if MAS was to trim its personnel as part of its current restructuring exercise.
“What’s left now is the political will of the Sarawak and Sabah governments to venture into the airline industry which should not be considered ‘unchartered territory’ now”, I added.
Today, I’m glad to learn that Abang Johari has approached Idris to be involved in the proposed boutique airline for Sarawak. I couldn’t think of a better person to lead Sarawak’s latest venture as we take off into an exciting aviation adventure.
In 2019, two years after he became Sarawak’s chief executive, Abang Johari mooted the Sarawak airline idea.
“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 small airline connecting Kuching with other strategic destinations in the region,” Abang Johari said at a Kuching event on Feb 1 that year.
Immediately, I supported the premier’s proposal, writing in my Malaysiakini column on Feb 7, 2019, that “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.
I noted that 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 (as Brunei is) 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.
At that time, I also shared my thoughts on a Sarawak airline with Facebook friends, adding a word of caution: “I’m glad that Abang Johari 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.
Today, I would like to tell our premier that Sarawakians expect nothing less than a clean and honest start to an airline they could proudly call their own.
Perhaps Abang Johari 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.
Airline travel is no longer a luxury but a necessity. We are also in a borderless world in which the border between countries is not important and we are creating an increasingly borderless global economy. Sarawakians will have to board a plane, perhaps as frequently as they board a taxi or a bus in time to come.
So dear Abang Johari, go ahead with the Sarawak airline. I am very confident, based on some feedback that I received, that many Sarawakians are behind you on this one.
Good luck and Godspeed. I hope to see our very own Sarawak airline take to the skies soon.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
