DAP says 11th MP a let-down for Labuan

Labuan: DAP here says that the 11th Malaysia Plan is a "let-down" for Labuan as no mega projects would be implemented here under the plan and there were also doubts that the RM260 billion development expenditure was enough for the transformation of the whole country in the next five years to a developed status.Its spokesman Lau Seng Kiat said the proposed integrated modern port and the Labuan-Menumbok bridge had been ignored in the Plan.

He said instead the greater focus was to upgrade the Kuantan port, the Padang Besar Terminal and further develop Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baharu, Kuching as well as Kota Kinabalu.

"Though Labuan has been recognised as the third national oil and gas hub, there was no mention of how this would be strengthened with more developments and infrastructures and the attention was only on the Pengerang Petroleum Complex in Johore."

Lau said there were clear indications that the island, federalised in 1984 and given much attention before, was no longer treated the same way.

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"Could this be because Labuan merely had one parliamentary constituency?" asked Lau.

He went on the say that the need for a new port located at a suitable site away from the town had long been emphasised and was in fact included in the 9th Malaysia Plan and now two five-year plans have passed and the port sits on the same site, seeing no major development over the last 10 years though there is a demand for better services.

He said it was also the same sad story concerning the Labuan-Menumbok bridge that was proposed in 1997 in the Labuan Master Development Plan prepared by the Labuan development Authority (LDA). Millions of ringgit had been spent on feasibility studies and the recommendations of the experts were that the bridge was essential for Labuan and the sooner the project was undertaken the better, as the cost would be much higher later.

"But the present government decisions on these projects were that they should be under private initiatives," said Lau.

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He said the new decision is acceptable but the question is why when private companies submit their proposals for the projects, no action was taken. We recall that several companies, including from China had wanted to undertake the port project but the proposals had not been looked upon favourably."

Regarding the proposed Labuan-Menumbok link, even former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh, in a joint venture with an established China company, had made offer to build the bridge with no cash payments from the government but in return for land reclamation rights.

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