KUALA LUMPUR (May 5): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) STOLports (short take-off and landing airports) across Sarawak continue to be central in coordinating with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Royal Malaysian Air Force and MASWings Sdn Bhd to ensure supply of basic needs and transportation connectivity to the remote East Malaysian communities.

The airport operator operates 12 STOLports in Sarawak to provide reliable connectivity to isolated communities throughout the country, which is a key socio-economic contribution.

In a statement, MAHB said its STOLports provide sustainable job opportunities to local talents and its operatives are mainly natives, who are well versed with the lie of the land. "In addition, these STOLports also serve as links to more business prospects from other industry sectors, contributing to the local economic development."

Known as the last frontier of Sarawak, Ba’kelalan is a difficult eight-hour drive, half of which is on a tough logging road on a four-wheel drive, from the nearest town of Lawas.

"Since the nation-wide Movement Control Order was imposed on March 18 to prevent Covid-19 infections from spreading, the communities living here have relied on air transport for medical supplies and essentials like sugar, cooking oil and flour," said MAHB.

In early April, the first food-aid mission from Miri landed at the Ba’kelalan STOLport.

“Our STOLports are critical hubs for vital supplies and services. Air travel is usually the fastest access to remote rural areas and settlements that are hard to reach by land,” said Michael Racha Agung, a Lun Bawang native working as an airport operative at the Ba’kelalan STOLport.

“Our priority is to ensure airfields and landing strips are operating like clockwork so that flights and cargo can reach us safely,” said Agung, who has worked at Ba’kelalan STOLport for more than 20 years.

“Ba’kelalan’s remoteness is both a blessing and a curse in this pandemic. The enormous distance has helped limit the spread of the virus, but it has also made it difficult fordaily necessities to reach the villages regularly. Even then, aircraft sometimes cannot land due to bad weather and low visibility conditions that sweep the highland and its mountainous terrain," he added.

MAHB’s Ba’kelalan STOLport handles flights between Lawas STOLport, Bario STOLport and Miri Airport, which include four scheduled weekly flights by MASWing’s 18-seater Twin Otter planes to transport returning native residents, cargo helicopters and ad-hoc flights by MoH’s Flying Doctors of Malaysia medical services.