Transport Minister Anthony Loke Surprises Passengers On Batik Air Flight To Kota Kinabalu
"Please sit back and relax. Have a safe journey home to Kota Kinabalu. Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!"
By Wayne Garreth — 20 Jan 2023, 04:46 PM
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, Transport Minister Anthony Loke made a surprise visit to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to send off passengers who were heading to Kota Kinabalu for the holidays
Stepping onto Batik Air flight OD 7006, which was set to travel to Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 10.50pm yesterday night, 19 January, Loke managed to conduct a pre-departure announcement on the aircraft to wish everyone a safe flight home.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Transport Minister speaking. This is flight OD 7006 bound for Kota Kinabalu.
"While we are ready for departure, please keep your seat belt fastened, pull your seats upright, please remember to switch off all your electronic devices. Please sit back and relax, have a safe journey home to Kota Kinabalu. Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!" said the minister using the aircraft's intercom.
A video of Loke sending off passengers off has since been shared on the Democratic Action Party's (DAP) Facebook page and has been making its way through social media.
To curb airfare hikes and allow the public to head back home during the festive season, Loke previously mentioned that more than 291 additional flights were approved for travel to domestic locations
In an announcement made on 6 January, theSundaily reported that Loke stated such an initiative was approved by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) for the Chinese New Year period.
Loke also noted that such additional flights had been approved for travel periods between 18 January to 31 January, including several airlines such as Malaysian Airlines, MYAirline, AirAsia, and Batik Air.
In an optimistic turn, MAVCOM has since revised the number of flights for the season, increasing them to 316 in order to alleviate concerns related to airfare price increases.
Loke also made a visit to an AirAsia aircraft, making an announcement before the departure of flight AK9213.
Image via Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Facebook)During his surprise visit before flight OD 7006's takeoff, Loke handed out offerings to passengers as they boarded the plane.
And also took photos with some of the passengers and crew on the flight.
Gratified by his effort to surprise Malaysians heading back home for the holidays, many people took to social media to praise the minister
