Putatan Umno chief Jeffery Nor Mohamed said the state government should prioritise resolving the water and electricity supply woes, as well as improving the condition of its roads.

“I think this proposal (to establish a new commercial airline in Sabah) is good but the time is not right. Should owning our own airline be prioritised over the repair and restoration of Sabah’s infrastructure?

“It must be remembered that the people of Sabah are now facing water and electricity supply issues, which are critical,” he said, according to Daily Express.

This comes after Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd (SAASB) chairman Kenny Chua announced that the state’s own airline is expected to take off by next year.

Chua expected to sign agreements to lease at least three aircraft, not limited to Airbus or Boeing, by the end of this year, adding that Sabah needed its own airline and cargo terminal hub.

However, Jeffery questioned whether Chua’s announcement was a knee-jerk reaction to Sarawak’s ongoing takeover of MASwings.

He said that starting a new airline meant the Sabah government would have to start from scratch, whereas MASwings already had its assets and permission to take off and land at airports.

The Sabah Umno elections director also said the proposed airline will face stiff competition from other well-established companies like AirAsia, Batik Air, Malaysia Airlines and MyAirlines.