KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has lauded Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s plan to revisit the proposed Labuan-Sabah bridge.
Labuan PBS division head Datuk Peter Mak (pic) said construction of the bridge was not a luxury but basic infrastructure and link between the duty-free Federal Territory island and mainland Sabah's Menumbok.
Mak said the minister’s view was realistic as Labuan needed the bridge to boost its economic and development needs.
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“Labuan PBS is glad and whole-heartedly welcomes the move by the minister, and she even cited infrastructure as an enabler to accelerate Labuan's development,” he said.
Mak also noted that Dr Zaliha was not only looking at the bridge as a mode of transportation but also as a channel to supply water from Sabah by aligning utility delivery pipes along its length.
“The minister's willingness to bring the proposed bridge project to the Federal Government for reconsideration is reflective of a government that continues to listen to the people.
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“The bridge would undoubtedly bring about many socio-economic benefits and returns to the people on both sides of the channel," he said.
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Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was on a visit to the island, said the bridge was not a priority as the government would focus on resolving basic infrastructure issues instead of major development projects which can be deferred.
The decades-old call for the bridge, estimated to cost RM6bil, has been on the back burner since the early 2000s with several feasibility studies being conducted.
Dr Zaliha was reported to have said that construction of the bridge could be a “game changer” for the island as it would have positive economic impact.
She also stressed the need for a comprehensive technical study on the estimated cost of the project.