PETALING JAYA: Those who are forced to travel to another state to return to their respective education institutions will now enjoy a 20% discount on flight tickets purchased from Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB).
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pix) said the offer would be eligible for students, teachers and lecturers, for travel period up to Nov 30.
He said the decision was made following discussions held between him and the national carrier’s group CEO Izham Ismail recently.
“For school teachers and higher education lecturers, a 20% discount will be given for domestic journeys. Booking period will be between July 9 and Aug 10, with travelling between July 10 and Nov 30.
“Discounts can be enjoyed through online booking by keying in a promo code that will be announced by the government soon,” he said in his Covid-19 media briefing today.
“Meanwhile, for students, a 20% discount can be enjoyed through the MH Explorer programme by signing up to be a member of MH Explorer,” he added.
Similarly, the students discount will also be up to Nov 30, or until the person’s membership ends, depending on the terms and condition.
“I thank MAB’s management for agreeing to offer discounted fares to teachers, lecturers and students, and I hope other airlines will also follow in their footsteps,” Ismail said.
In June, budget carrier AirAsia launched a RM399 unlimited pass package which allows unlimited domestic travelling up to March next year, but many have complained of frequent flight cancellations.
Ismail’s announcement yesterday came following public outcry over exorbitant fares being charged by the various airlines since the resumption of domestic travel.
Many Malaysians have taken to social media to criticise the actions of these companies, claiming that many had no choice but to purchase flight tickets to travel to and from states like Sabah and Sarawak for their education.
This is following the reopening of schools in stages beginning June 24, and the resumption of physical classes in higher education institutions that is set to be announced in the near future.
Explaining the decision by MAB to grant the discount only until Nov 30, Ismail said this was because almost all schools and universities would reopen their doors very soon.
“Schools for example will reopen fully by July 22. For higher education institutions, the minister will be making an announcement soon. Hence, those involved will be travelling in the near future, and not later,” he added.
