Student-friendly airfares needed for GE15

Voters, young and old alike, should be allowed to cast their votes come polling day on Nov 19, regardless of where they live, remote or otherwise.

For those who have to return home by air, it is only right that the government, through the transport ministry, ensures that the prices of flight tickets are controlled so that voters, especially the young ones, are able to discharge their rights as responsible citizens of this country.

I read with disdain reports on round-trip airfares, especially between Sabah and Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, which are expected to increase two to three days before polling day. I am sure that they won’t be able to pay for such expensive airfares.

This is such a worrying trend and detrimental to this country as young voters, or Undi 18, should be allowed their rights for the continued peace and stability of this country. Just like other eligible voters, my son and daughter, both currently pursuing their studies at two different universities in Sabah and Sarawak, should to allowed to come home to vote.

The relevant authorities, in particular the transport ministry, should make relentless efforts to control the prices for the sake of these voters. Without such controls, it would be impossible for them to come home to vote.

The airlines must not be allowed to hike their prices arbitrarily. It is only right that airlines be asked to lower their fares as this is crucial, and cheaper tickets would encourage more Malaysians to return home.

Previous checks on the airlines’ websites revealed that round-trip airfares between Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur for Nov 18 and 19 ranged from RM400 to RM700, depending on the time, package and airline. 

Netizens have also claimed that some airfares more than doubled for flights from the peninsula to East Malaysia following the announcement of the polling date by the Election Commission.

Even though some airlines have provided offers for GE15, the airfares as stated in a daily report are still expensive for students. It is said that there are no offers for return tickets, only single fares, and that the rates are inconsistent with the dates.

The five-day leave for university students from Nov 17, to allow them to return home to cast their votes, will be meaningless if the prices of airfares are not controlled and remain high. 

The ministry must have a concrete plan to address this issue as this has been a recurring problem at every general election. They could always impose a ceiling price for airline tickets to ensure that voters can exercise their democratic rights without having to bear additional costs.

This must be addressed once and for all so that students of voting age can exercise their rights responsibly.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.