Plans for Sabah-Labuan bridge under fire as not viable

 

The RM6 billion cost of the bridge would be better spent on amenities for the people of Labuan, says a transport expert. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A transport expert has opposed federal government plans to build a bridge connecting Sabah and Labuan, saying it is not viable.

Rosli Azad Khan said it is better for the government to channel private funds into improving Labuan’s basic amenities instead.

He told FMT there would be few vehicles travelling between Labuan and Sabah, and the numbers “cannot justify a massive piece of infrastructure” that could cost up to RM6 billion to build.

“Even if the bridge were to be privatised and tolls were to be imposed, the revenue from the traffic volume would not sustain the costs,” he said, adding that it would be better to upgrade existing transport services between the two areas.

Rosli Azad Khan.

Rosli also said the bridge would do little to benefit Sabah because the state did not rely much on Labuan, a federal territory where 20% of the population still suffer from poor living conditions and lack of water supply.

“Spend those funds on improving Labuan’s basic infrastructure like electricity, water and housing. Building a bridge before any of these are done would be such a big waste for Labuan’s financial objectives and vision.”

However, economist Firdausi Suffian of Sabah UiTM said various studies had shown that the benefits of the Sabah-Labuan bridge outweighed any cost or land issues.

He said the most obvious benefit was easy accessibility, which would facilitate trade activities and help expand businesses.

Firdausi said the immediate beneficiaries from the bridge were those in the southwest region of Sabah such as Menumbok, Sipitang, Beaufort and Weston, as well as Labuan folk.

Firdausi Suffian.

“Labuan’s economy will not expand without good connectivity,” he said. “It is one of the country’s free-trade zones and oil and gas hubs. The supply chain network related to these business activities needs good connectivity with Sabah.”

Meanwhile, transport planning consultant Goh Bok Yen said the proposal for a bridge to link Labuan and Sabah was “physically logical”, but the feasibility and rationale behind it were questionable.

While the operation and maintenance costs of the bridge would not be sustainable without heavy subsidies, Goh pointed out that the bridge could prove useful from a development perspective.

“With a permanent link, Labuan can act as a hinterland of Menumbok and vice-versa, possibly creating development opportunities. But if the demand is solely for crossing borders, this can be fulfilled through improved ferry and speedboat services,” he said.

Last November, federal territories minister Annuar Musa said the government had agreed to build a bridge connecting Sabah and Labuan through a “private finance initiative”.

Annuar had said the federal territories and works ministries were currently finalising the terms of reference under the request for proposal (RFP) to construct the bridge.

He said the evaluation of bids and tender awarding process were expected to be finalised by October. - FMT