AirBorneo operations and Bintulu Port transfer mark Sarawak transport changes
Transport Minister Anthony Loke also cited federal funding for Kuching buses and approval for Miri Airport expansion.
AirBorneo has begun operating and assumed MASwings services, while Bintulu Port Authority has been handed over to Sarawak, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said, citing both as outcomes of cooperation between the federal and state governments.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Limbang Road Transport Department (JPJ) branch office on Oct 28, Loke said Sarawak’s ambition to establish its own airline had been realised in less than three years. All ATR aircraft are now under AirBorneo, he said, with jet services to regional destinations also planned.
Loke said restoring port authority powers to Sarawak fulfilled demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. He credited his working relationship with Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, despite their different political affiliations, with helping deliver transport commitments.
In Kuching, the ministry introduced BAS.MY with direct federal funding. Loke said Sarawak had not previously received federal funding for a stage bus system and expressed hope that the service could extend beyond Kuching. The Limbang JPJ complex is the department’s only new building approved during the current term, he added.
The Ministry of Finance has also approved expansion and upgrading work at Miri Airport, Loke said. The project is intended to address excess passenger demand and support economic activity in nearby areas, including Limbang.
