KUCHING, Oct 21 — The state government should subsidise airfares to fly outstation Sarawakians home to vote in next month’s general election, Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan said today.

He said there was no reason preventing it from doing so, since Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has repeatedly claimed that the state government has lots of money in its coffers.

"Without Sarawakian voters returning from outside the state to cast their votes, the turn-out could be low in the general election,” Voon said.

He was responding to remarks made yesterday by Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian that the sharp surge in airfares from the peninsula to Sarawak is beyond the state government’s control.

Voon said the state government should come up with a plan to counter the rise in airfares during every election to ensure that Sarawakians working in the peninsula and Singapore can come back and vote.

"I was very disappointed with the deputy premier who said that there was nothing that the state government could do to reduce the airfare prices as the airlines were run by private entities,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after attending a Deepavali function last night, Dr Sim expressed his disappointment at the spike in airline tickets from the peninsula to Sarawak minutes after the Election Commission announced polling day for Malaysia on November 19.

Dr Sim said the steep prices could prove a deterrent for outstation Sarawakians to return home to cast their ballot.

He added that the Sarawak government could do nothing to reduce airfares and that it was very unfortunate that the state government does not own an airline.