China’s Firm to Build Labuan Bridge
International Terminal and to
move the Air Force to Tawau.
Malaysia’s First Oil and Gas
Terminal to Open Soon in
Sabah
“Labuan Airport will then
be a 100 per cent civilian
airport and Tawau Airport
will become partly a military
airport. The proposal to
develop Labuan into a major
transit point for the whole
island of Borneo is logical,”
he said.
The bridge plan designed by Innotech Design Architect Sdn
Bhd shows the bridge linking Labuan at Tanjung Aru with the
mainland of Sabah at Menumbok
The proposed bridge to link
Labuan and Sabah is now
possible after it was merely
talked about by the people
years before.
Representing former chief
minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd
Salleh at a briefing session
for the committees of Malay,
Kadazandusun, Chinese
and Indian chambers of
commerce at Tiara Hotel
here, Raden Kakung said
both the people of Labuan
and Sabah were looking
forward to have the bridge
built.
The bridge is possible as
a company from China is
willing to build it for a land
swap without cash payment.
“An entry port with an
integrated bridge has also
been planned. The Labuan
side will provide sea land for
reclamation, which will be
developed into commercial
and residential properties
especially for retired
overseas people.
“This is also the plan
for the Sabah side. To
realise this aspiration,
the Federal Government
should formulate a policy
allowing foreigners to have
permanent residence
permits in exchange for their
investment on the island,”
he said.
Reading a speech on behalf
of the former chief minister,
Raden said that Harris
recalled a concept initiated
by the British to make
Labuan like a little Singapore
or Hong Kong, which remains
a dream to the people of
Labuan.
“Indeed, Labuan is just like
Singapore. The economic
activities of Singapore are
tied up with the financial
centre as well as oil and
gas. Tourism, property
management and other
businesses just simply follow.
“Nevertheless, Singapore
is far away from Labuan.
Therefore, it is not a direct
competition as Singapore is
a well-established oil and gas
centre. Any establishment
trying to compete with it in
the same business will fail.
“Its friendly neighbours
of Sabah and Sarawak
recognise the fact that
Labuan with a population of
100,000 can only survive and
thrive with the presence of
oil and gas industries, which
will guarantee employment,”
he said.
He said further that in order
to make Labuan a fully
integrated and functio