AirBorneo, Bintulu Port handover among key gains from Federal-Sarawak cooperation, says Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said close cross-party cooperation with his deputy, Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, has allowed several major commitments to be fulfilled for the people of Sarawak. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

First Published: Tuesday, 03 Nov 2026 8:44 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Strong cooperation and a close working relationship between the Federal Government and the Sarawak government have delivered high-impact transport development projects in the state within a short period, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said close cross-party cooperation with his deputy, Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, has allowed several major commitments to be fulfilled for the people of Sarawak.

Key achievements include solid support in realising Sarawak’s own boutique airline, the handover of Bintulu Port Authority to the state government, the introduction of the BAS.MY public transport system in Kuching, the Miri Airport upgrading project, and the construction of a new Road Transport Department (JPJ) complex in Limbang.

“Over the past few years, since we teamed up at the Transport Ministry, Datuk Hasbi and I have worked together closely without any issues, despite coming from different political backgrounds.

“We have always maintained a very good working relationship, and as a result, we have been able to implement and resolve many matters,” he said in a video recording of his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Limbang JPJ branch office on Oct 28, uploaded to his Facebook page yesterday. 

Touching on the establishment of Sarawak’s airline, Loke said the goal was achieved in less than three years through strategic cooperation between both sides.

“For Sarawak, we have jointly delivered on several major matters at the Transport Ministry. First, during this term alone, we helped realise the Sarawak government’s aspiration to have its own airline,” he said.

He explained that AirBorneo has commenced operations and taken over MASwings services, with all ATR aircraft now under AirBorneo, alongside plans to operate jet aircraft connecting Sarawak to various regional destinations.

Beyond aviation, Loke said the Federal Government also fulfilled demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) by returning port authority powers to the state.

On land transport, Loke said the ministry expanded the public transport network by providing direct funding to Sarawak, which the state had never received previously.

“At the departmental level, we started the BAS.MY service in Kuching, a key initiative by the Transport Ministry given that Sarawak never had a federally funded stage bus system before.

“Starting in Kuching, we hope to expand this service to other areas in the future. As for the JPJ, this is the only new building construction approved for this term, and we will assess needs in other locations after this,” he said.

Meanwhile, addressing connectivity in northern Sarawak, Loke said the expansion and upgrading of Miri Airport has been approved by the Ministry of Finance to cope with passenger overflow and spur economic growth in surrounding areas, including the Limbang Division.

“This project serves as an important gateway to Limbang, and I am confident its capacity can be increased. This will allow for more flights, bringing more visitors here, which is vital to stimulate development across Limbang,” he said. — Bernama