BERA: Airline companies must not make excessive profits by raising ticket prices to Sabah and Sarawak during the festive season, says Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said based on media reports, the airfares to both the states during this festive season had increased by up to 500% during the festive season.
He described this increase as “extreme” because the people had no alternative other than to fly to East Malaysia.
As such, the prime minister said he had asked domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Alexander Nanta Linggi to investigate if there was any violation under the Price Control and Anti -Profiteering Act 2011 in the increase in ticket prices.
“The ministry must be firm against any party, no matter big or small, that makes excessive profits under the law.
“Immediate action must be taken to safeguard the interests of the people.
“We will also not allow traders to take advantage of the festive season or fasting to put pressure on the people,” he said.
Ismail said this in his speech when opening Pasaraya MG CoopMart, which is owned by Koperasi Pekebun Kecil Daerah Bera Berhad (Kopbera) and the “Semarak Ramadan Keluarga Malaysia” sale for the Bera parliamentary constituency here today.
Ismail said he had also asked transport minister Wee Ka Siong to resolve the matter with the airline companies and that a meeting had been held among the parties involved.
The issue of costly flight tickets to Sabah and Sarawak became a hot topic this week as the price displayed on an airline’s website was said to have increased up to RM2,000 for return flights — an increase of 566% compared to the usual price of about RM300 for the same trip.
In another development, Ismail said the special committee meeting to address the cost of living, to be held this Friday, would study the proposals by several ministries to ensure there was no indiscriminate increase in the price of daily necessities.
On the setting up of supermarkets by cooperatives, Ismail said this would help break the middleman system and help reduce the price of goods for the benefit of consumers.
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/04/17/dont-take-advantage-of-festive-season-to-raise-airfares-warns-ismail/