KOTA KINABALU: Labuan needs a bridge connecting it to mainland Sabah in order for the offshore financial island to grow and meet its true potential, says Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
Its Labuan division chief Datuk Peter Mak said among the important requirements of sound industrial growth were adequate and stable supply of utilities like power and water and the availability of good infrastructure, which includes the proposed bridge.
Mak, who is also PBS vice-president, added that the proposed Labuan-Menumbok bridge and the island's development cannot be viewed in isolation.
He said this was why they could not agree with the views expressed by the Labuan Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) which opined the bridge was not necessary.
“Labuan PBS welcomes the view of the Labuan Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the island was in need of industries to spur its economic growth.
“Such development would also create more employment opportunities.
"However, we do not agree that there is no need for a bridge linking Labuan to Menumbok on Sabah mainland.
"We should look at and address the overall development of Labuan in a holistic manner," Mak said in a statement here on Saturday (Feb 18).
LCCI chairman Datuk Dahlif Singh had on Friday (Feb 17) said it was better to have more industries established on the island rather than investing in the costly Labuan-Menumbok bridge.
Dahlif also said the other disadvantage of the bridge was that it could reduce the Labuan Port to a secondary role, with businesses and firms choosing to transport shipments between Kota Kinabalu and Labuan using the bridge.
Mak, however, disagreed, saying they believed the contrary as the proposed bridge will complement rather than being a competitor to the island's existing modes of air and sea transportation.
“This will augur well for the overall benefit of the people of Labuan.
"The proposed bridge should be treated as an integral component of Labuan's development as it will open the island to a wider market catchment of mainland Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and even Kalimantan (when Indonesia relocates its capital to Nusantara) by virtue of the bridge's connection to the Pan Borneo Highway," he said.
Coupled with Labuan's offshore financial services infrastructure, Mak added that this will attract and encourage investments to set up industries on the island.
"Furthermore, the proposed bridge, other than economic considerations, should also be viewed as a social obligation to the people of Labuan and Sabah by easing travel for the people between the two areas," he said.
