The long-awaited bridge linking Labuan and Menumbok may now see the light of day with plans for it to be constructed through a privately financed initiative, said Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli (pic).

He said the Federal Government had already agreed earlier this year for the bridge to be built through a privately financed initiative. 

“They are planning to open the request for proposals before the end of the year, so we are really hoping there will be an investor group who will take up and invest in the bridge.

“The logical one, mentioned many times by our federal Ministers, is probably a combination of land swap and concession to collect tolls,” he said, adding he was made to understand that there were already six to seven companies which have expressed interest in the bridge.  

Rozman said this to reporters after a meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at the latter’s office, here, Monday.

He said he proposed that toll charges be very low so as to cater to the local community and not just industry players and the wealthy.

“It should be less than RM10 toll and only charged one way. After all, that’s what they charge in Penang — RM7,” he said.

Rozman said that once the bridge becomes a reality, the federal territory should flourish in several sectors, including tourism, owing to the improved connectivity.

“All other industries will have the potential to grow fast, namely tourism. Labuan as a logistics centre, a port city, a halal hub, and we will also potentially develop into a fishery centre,” he said, adding that the Sabah Government had agreed to co-operate and provide necessary assistance for the bridge to become a reality.

Currently, vehicles travelling to the island must take a ferry through Menumbok, some two hours’ drive from the city. 

Ferries are often full, especially during the weekends and festive seasons, even with additional trips. It costs about RM40 per vehicle via the ferry.

“Now, traffic is so much higher than before due to the high cost of flights between Kota Kinabalu to Labuan. 

“Those days we had only one ferry, now we have four and coming to be five soon,” he said, adding that the cheapest flight between Labuan and Kota Kinabalu is RM198 one-way. 

“It’s sometimes cheaper for us to fly to KL than to KK and cheaper to fly from Tawau to KK than to Labuan, even though it’s only 15 minutes in the air,” he said.

Asked whether chartered flights from overseas countries to Labuan are being hindered as Labuan airport is under the Air Force, Rozman said it was not really a problem as it had been done before. 

He added, however, that it could take a bit longer (about two weeks) than other airports for special permission and issuance of permits for direct chartered flights.

“The problem is more about passenger load,” he said, adding that previous chartered flights from Taiwan to Labuan were stopped due to insufficient load.

Meanwhile, Rozman, who was accompanied by Labuan business leaders, also spoke about the need for Sabah to include the island in its economic plans.

He said the State’s master plan should synchronise with Labuan.

“We are economically and culturally part of Sabah,” he said, adding that tourism and other businesses in Sabah’s west coast could also be synchronised with Labuan.

Rozman said he also sought assistance from the Chief Minister to allow Labuan licensed fishermen to fish in Sabah’s waters where, he said, even if was not the whole of Sabah’s waters, then at least on the West Coast side.

He also said an additional ramp was also needed at the Menumbok jetty for the Labuan ferries.

He said Labuan now has two temporary ramps while Menumbok only has one. 

“We hope the Sabah Government will build another ramp at the Menumbok jetty as soon as possible to avoid traffic congestion, especially during the school holidays and festival periods.”

He also asked that there be a Pan Borneo highway project connection to Menumbok and Labuan from Beaufort.

The idea of the bridge to connect with mainland Sabah which is expected to be about 15km long was mooted since the 1990s but never materialised due to its high cost.

A feasibility study conducted last year estimated its cost to be around RM5 billion, which the new government said was too high.