KOTA KINABALU: The proposed bridge linking Labuan and Sabah could boost the economy and benefit businesses and the public in both areas, says a business group.
The Dewan Perniagaan dan Perusahaan Kadayan Malaysia (DPPKM) said both large businesses as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would benefit.
“Other than economic benefits, we could see savings in logistics and travel costs because there would be more options apart from using courier services, travel via ferry or flights,” DPPKM spokesman Mohd Faizal Malik said in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 22).
He said suppliers can transport their products directly to customers, while ehailing services might also be expanded, thereby benefitting the gig economy.
Government and private agencies can also make use of the link to disseminate information, he added.
On Feb 18, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice president and Labuan division chief Datuk Peter Mak said the island needs a bridge connecting it to mainland Sabah in order for the offshore financial island to grow and realise its true potential.
He said among the important requirements of sound industrial growth were a stable supply of utilities like electricity and water, as well as good infrastructure like the bridge.
He added that the proposed Labuan-Menumbok (Sabah) bridge and the island's development cannot be viewed in isolation.
Talk about such a bridge began some 20 years ago but the project had yet to materialise.
On Sept 23, 2019, The Star quoted the then Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli as saying that a 10km Labuan-Menumbok bridge would be built via a private finance initiative but the idea fizzled out following changes of state and Federal governments.
