KOTA KINABALU: Returning the Federal Territory of Labuan to Sabah is the only solution to revitalise the island, said Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
The former Sabah Chief Minister said with only one member of parliament in Labuan, it had no effective voice at the Federal level.
"To put an end to Labuan's cries for help which have been falling deaf on Putrajaya's ears, the only solution is for Labuan to return to Sabah.
"Indeed, once Labuan is part of Sabah again, the Labuan bridge traffic can be smooth because there would be no immigration checkpoint between Labuan and Sabah.
"Only people travelling to Labuan from outside Sabah would be subjected to immigration control," he said in a statement.
In 1984, the then-Sabah leaders ceded Labuan to the federal government and it was admitted as a federal territory.
Yong, who is also a Sabah-nominated assemblyman, said when Labuan becomes part of Sabah again, it will get two or three assembly persons and probably a seat in the Sabah Cabinet.
He also added that the only long-term effective solution to Labuan's persistent economic problems is the integration of its economy with that of mainland Sabah by way of Labuan Bridge.
Labuan's under-utilised airport, which is of international standard, can immediately be used to ease congestion at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, hence bringing boosting its economy.
He said the Labuan airport can also serve Southern Sabah, Northern Sarawak and even Brunei now that the accessible Brunei Temburong Bridge and the upcoming Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) has cut driving time by at least two hours between Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak.
Yesterday, Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said a technical study is expected to begin next year.
"Therefore, the meagre RM500,000.00 (announced by Zaliha) for yet another feasibility study on the Labuan bridge is a joke.
"There have been at least two other studies dating back two decades."
In 2010, an RM4 million feasibility study for the bridge was carried out by Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Sains Malaysia.
In 2017, the federal government had announced feasibility study costs at RM14.31 million, and in 2020, the then Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said that they were in the final phase of conducting a feasibility study for the same bridge.