LIBARAN, 7 Nov 2025 — Sabah UMNO Information Chief and Libaran Member of Parliament, Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, urged the government and airlines, especially AirAsia, to consider providing subsidies or special discounts on airfare for Sabahans who want to return to vote in conjunction with the Sabah State Election (PRN) on 29 November.
He said that although AirAsia recently announced a special promotion called “Jom Balik Undi” with fares as low as RM299 one-way, the price is still considered high for most Sabahans, especially those from the middle and low income groups.
“At RM299 one-way, the return fare from Sabah to the Peninsular reaches almost RM600 per person. That does not include baggage charges, airport taxes and other expenses.”
“In the current challenging economic situation, it is difficult for ordinary citizens to bear such a huge cost just to fulfill their responsibilities as voters,” he said in a statement today.
Suhaimi also reminded that AirAsia had previously received financing of RM300 million from Sabah Development Bank (SDB) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was approved during the administration of former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
According to him, so far the total repayment to SDB is only around RM170 million, indicating that there is still a large balance that has not been settled with the financial institution owned by the Sabah state government.
“On the basis of morality and social justice, AirAsia should show responsibility to the state that once helped them survive. Offering special fares under RM300 round trip to Sabah voters will be proof of the company’s sensitivity towards the people,” he said.
He added that the move not only reflects corporate social responsibility (CSR), but also returns the benefits of state government assistance to the people, not just to corporate profits.
“If the RM300 million fund from SDB once helped AirAsia during difficult times, then lowering ticket prices for Sabahans to return to vote is not a burden, but a form of appreciation and social responsibility,” he added.
Suhaimi also called on Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to come forward to support the call to ensure that the financial assistance that was given to the company ultimately provides direct returns to the people of Sabah.
The Election Commission (EC) has set the nomination date for the Sabah state election on November 15, while the early voting date and polling day are on November 25 and 29 respectively.
On October 6, the Sabah Chief Minister announced the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to pave the way for the 17th Sabah general election.
The Sabah State Legislative Assembly has 79 seats, 73 of which are contested while the other six are appointed State Assemblymen (ADUN).
– UMNO Online