The homestay programs have contributed to employment opportunities and improve living standards in the less urban areas and any downturn will result in lay-offs of the employees and cause financial constraints to many families.
MAS’ action runs contrary to the Government’s policy of encouraging homestay programs for the rural areas and will completely defeat the purpose of the policy.
“MAS’ action will also mean the extension of the current sea-route cabotage policy to the air-route” added Rubbin, who is also a United Borneo Front (UBF) State Coordinating Committee member and coordinator for Kadamaian.
“As it is, the sea cabotage has eroded the competitiveness of Sabah as an investment destination and loss of employment opportunities to the Peninsular and contributed to increased costs of goods and services and thereby increasing the costs of living in Sabah.”
“Sabah does not need an extension of the sea cabotoge to the sky” stressed Rubbin.
The closure of Kota Kinabalu as MAS’ eastern hub will also defeat the purpose of the “1-Malaysia” slogan and make Sabah more isolated and poorer.
The Federal Government should stop treating Sabah and Sarawak as “the other part of Malaysia” and should instead take more proactive steps to develop the Borneo States for a progressive Malaysia.
Sabah is already the poorest State in Malaysia with 40% of all poor in Malaysia and do not need policies which only make Sabahans poorer. Ironically, Sabah contributes about 27% of Malaysia’s oil and gas production and about 35% of the nation’s palm oil production.
The State Government should be ashamed of Sabah’s status as the poorest plight and the unfair treatment of Sabah by the Peninsular leaders and take proactive steps to help the Sabah homestay community remain in business including taking the option of converting Sabah Air into a regional airline.
Rubbin Guribah is Coordinator of Melangkap Homestay, Member of United Borneo Front
Mr Rubbin,Sabah nowadays been termed as the poorest state in Malaysia is the umwtitten policy of Malaysia toward Sabah.Not only West Malaysian applied their Divide and Rule attitude but really make some thing hard and weird to make Sabahan suffer (so the Sabahan has to beg for help).
ReplyDeleteTHe cabotage policy by sea ports are taking effects and now the CABOTAGE BY AIR is really sheer foolhardy and dumb.The West Malaysian really after our hides!
The Cabotage should be repel at all cost.
Gonzales
The so called Malays (of which I knew to be Bajaus,Irranuns,Berunai,Kadayan,Bisaya and others) are infact not Malays.They communicate
only in Bahasa Malaysia.YET THEY CALLED THEMSELVES AS MALAYS.
Cabotage policy should be abolished as it is bringing no good to Sabahans.
ReplyDeleteSabah government is talking to potential airline companies to extend their direct flight service to Sabah.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the government at state as well as federal level will look into this course of action taken by MAS.
ReplyDeleteIt is hope the the tourism industry in Sabah especially those that are mentioned within this article will be able to with stand this "onslaught".
ReplyDeletewhat good if outside country holding it? maybe u can attract few number of tourists but the airfare still go to the coffer of it's mother country. It's better for Sabah to open up its own air transport. say North Borneo Airways or North Borneo International Airways. full dependance to the federal will makes us continued to suffer because they are intended so. they makes us begging almost every second.
ReplyDeleteI'm agree that cabotage policy in Sabah should be abolished. this policy just brings negative impact in Sabah and its peoples.
ReplyDeleteWhy cabotage policy is implemented if its only burdening the people??
ReplyDeleteThere should be other alternatives rather than being dependent on MAS only.
ReplyDeleteCabotage policy is good for KL only as it brings more $$$, business, job opportunities and foreign investors to KL only.
ReplyDeleteIf PR wins GE13, cabotage policy will remain as it benefits KL companies a lot. PR Sabah will have to start begging from its master in Putrajaya for more $$$ because Sabah is still poor economically.
Only Sabah full Autonomy and Borneo Agenda will kill off this unfair policy.
cabotage polisi byk membebankan Sabah. ia perlu dimansuhkan.
ReplyDeletekita harus ada polisi yang memberi kemudahan kepada Sabah.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan Negeri telah mencadangkan akan mengambil penerbangan dari negara luar seperti China untuk meningkatkan penerbangan mereka ke Sabah tanpa berhenti di KLIA.
ReplyDeleteIni satu tindakan yang tidak patut dilakukan oleh MAS terhadap pemberhentian beberapa laluan di Sabah.
ReplyDeleteini macam mensabotag ekonomi sabah namanya,taklah kalau saya pegi ke Hong Kong saya perlu ke KLIA dan pelancung dari Hong Kong perlu turun ke KLIA dan baru ke KKIA untuk ke sabah.....bodoh betul polisi ini ,sudah lah polisi cabotage mensabotage ekonomi rakyaat sabah ini MAS batal pula banyak penerabangan Direct dari KKIA ke luar negara...kasi tumbang ini BN pada PRU13
ReplyDeleteharus selesaikan masalah ni. sekiranya berlarutan akan menjejaskan ekonomi Sabah
ReplyDeletecuba la UBF buka syarikat penerbangan sendiri dan kita lihat bagaimana mereka survive dalam industri berisiko besar ini..
ReplyDeleteada apa2 cadangan dari UBF untuk selesaikan masalah ini?? sekurang2nya bagilah cadangan.. tanpa cadangan, sama juga 2x5..
ReplyDelete