The Ministry of Transport said Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) will resume flights from peninsula Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak this week.

In a Facebook post, its minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong stated that he had asked MAB and AirAsia Group to reconsider resuming flight operations from the peninsula to East Malaysia.

At the moment, MAB has agreed to resume return flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, Miri and Kota Kinabalu respectively, starting this week.

These flights will take place once a week, with MAB increasing their frequency depending on demand.

Wee also stated that MAS wings would resume domestic operations in East Malaysia with flights between Miri and Bintulu, Kuching and Sibu, and Sibu and Bintulu.

“With MASwings operations, the interior of Sarawak and Sabah will also be connected. In the event of increased demand and passengers, MAS is ready to increase its flight frequency,’’ said Wee in the statement.

Wee also assured that cargo flights carrying basic necessities and medical supplies did not stop throughout the movement control order (MCO) period, with flights from Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, and Kuala Lumpur to and from Labuan, taking place three times a week.

He added that the Ministry of Transport had not instructed AirAsia, MAB or Malindo Air to halt their operations to Sabah and Sarawak.

Wee’s statement came after Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed his objection to the supposed move to suspend flights of all three airlines to the state.