KOTA KINABALU: Building a bridge to link Labuan and Sabah will be pointless if the island remains a federal territory, says Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.
The former chief minister contended that the only effective long-term solution to Labuan's persistent economic problems is to integrate the island's economy with Sabah's by way of the proposed Labuan-Menumbok link.
He also described the recent announcement of a RM500,000 technical study on the feasibility of the bridge as "a joke", as there had been other studies before and more concrete steps were needed now.
Yong, who is also Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, said Labuan, with only one MP, has no effective voice at the federal level.
“To put an end to Labuan's cries for help which have been falling on deaf ears in Putrajaya, the solution is for Labuan to return to Sabah,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 12).
“Indeed, once Labuan is part of Sabah again, Labuan bridge traffic can be smooth because there would be no Immigration checkpoint between Labuan and Sabah.
“Only those travelling to Labuan from outside Sabah would be subject to Immigration control.
“Should Labuan become part of Sabah again, it will get two or three assemblymen and probably a Sabah Cabinet post,” he added.
He said this had been a core issue for SAPP for years, and it will propose the return of Labuan to Sabah as a key part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) manifesto in the coming state election.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa had on Monday (Nov 11) said a technical study on the implementation of the Menumbok-Labuan bridge project is expected to begin next year.
She said that the technical study, which will be led by the Special Task Force for the Labuan-Sabah Bridge under the Federal Territories Department, will examine various aspects, including the feasibility of the link.
Dr Zaliha said her department had also received an initial budget of RM500,000 for the study.
He said Labuan's under-utilised airport, which is of international standard, could immediately be used to ease congestion at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, boosting Labuan's economy.
The Labuan airport, he said, could serve southern Sabah, northern Sarawak and even Brunei now that the accessible Brunei Temburong Bridge and the upcoming Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) has cut driving time by at least two hours between Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak.
“Therefore, the meagre RM500,000 for yet another feasibility study on Labuan bridge is a joke ... there have been at least two other studies dating back two decades,” he said.
According to Yong, once the bridge is completed, all tourist and conference assets in Labuan would immediately be accessible to the one million foreign tourists visiting Sabah, especially those going to the Klias Peninsula in south-west Sabah for nature tourism.
“Other than tobacco and alcohol, it is a sad reality that Labuan has lost its comparative advantages as a free port.
“The relatively small size of the Labuan consumer market and its logistical isolation means that most consumer goods such as electrical appliances are now much cheaper on mainland Sabah than in Labuan,” he said.
