The government is considering expanding the FLYsiswa initiative to include land transport travel within Peninsular Malaysia. This was revealed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a dialogue session at Management and Science University (MSU) yesterday, responding to a participant who inquired regarding the possibility of introducing subsidised land transport subsidies for students based in the region.
For the uninitiated, FLYsiswa is an annual initiative under the Ministry of Transport that subsidises domestic flight tickets for students in public universities, polytechnics, and community colleges under the Ministry of Higher Education, as well as matriculation and teacher training institute students under the Ministry of Education. The subsidies cover travel between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan.
Anwar noted that while the current focus of the initiative is on students from Sabah and Sarawak due to the high cost of air travel, similar support could be considered in the peninsula. He said the proposal would be discussed with Transport Minister Anthony Loke. However, it remains unclear whether the expansion would cover trains, buses, or other modes of land transport.
“As for FLYsiswa in the peninsula, I’ll discuss it with the Transport Minister,” he said. “Perhaps for certain areas or specific locations, we can look into implementing it.”
(Source: The Edge Malaysia)
