MASwings’ Decision To Fly To Palawan Hailed As Gift For Kudat Folks
KOTA KINABALU, May 10 (Bernama) — MASwings’ announcement to fly to Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the southern Philippines by the end of October this year has been hailed by BIMP-EAGA Malaysia Business Council chairman Roselan Johar Mohamed as heaven’s gift to the people of Sabah, particularly in Kudat. He said with greater connectivity, more trade can be achieved between Kudat in the northern part of Sabah and Palawan.
Roselan said the business council of BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) is closely monitoring the Kudat situation and some announcement will be in the offing. “The much awaited trade mission from Palawan is coming in June to visit Kudat,” he told Bernama here today.
Yesterday, MASwings chief executive officer Datuk Captain Nawawi Awang announced that MASwings, a fully-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, would embark on its second phase of international route expansion by the end of October this year. Nawawi was quoted as saying that the new MASwings’ international air service would cover the Kuching-Balikpapan (Indonesia) and Kota Kinabalu-Puerto Princesa routes.
Roselan said further upgrading of the Customs Immigration Quarantine Security (CIQS) station in Kudat is being discussed “even though the present facility there is just enough for the moment.”
On MASwings’ recent success after expanding their routes to Pontianak and Tarakan, Indonesia early this year, he said the high load factor achieved had compelled the airline to increase the original three Tawau-Tarakan flights a week to one flight daily with effect from July 1 this year. “This is very fast indeed and beyond our wildest imagination. This is a classic success story and we hope many others will emulate MASwings.
“That is the beauty about BIMP-EAGA. The successive meetings we had throughout and over the years are all designed to make travel easier and cheaper. We are talking about 70 million people within the designated Bimp-Eaga region,” he added.
Roselan said travelling is very important because it provides high visibility and “our visitors come, they see and ultimately they will buy.”
“So money spent on travelling and other spending is very high and this keeps our economy moving. Our airports have been most accommodating and Miri (Sarawak) airport is currently being upgraded just for this purpose — to welcome local, national and international visitors. Likewise, the Sabah government is upgrading the Tawau seaport passenger terminal and it is expected to be ready soon,” he said.
Roselan said the government truly values the economic importance of visiting neighbours and hopes this new upcoming facility will triple Tawau’s retailing and merchandising business. “At the same time, we have to warn the local traders never to maximise profits. A small profit here and there will always welcome repeat customers-cum- travellers, and trade will continue to prosper. Gone are the days when we used to shun the economic migrants. Now we welcome all visitors and any well designed passenger terminal can easily filter the genuine or legitimate travellers with ease and effciency,” he said.
Source : Bernama
