This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 10, 2024 - June 16, 2024

Time and again, the proposed Labuan Bridge connecting the Federal Territory of Labuan and Sabah makes the news.

The idea to connect Labuan island with Sabah was first mooted in the late 1990s, when it was included in the Labuan Development Master Plan 1997-2015. However, for one reason or another, the bridge, also known as the Labuan-Menumbok Bridge, never materialised.

In recent weeks, the proposal has been revived by Sabah politicians. The federal government is also supportive of the plan, with the Federal Territories Department setting up three task forces to revitalise Labuan’s economy, including through the construction of the bridge.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has rightly said that while the government supports the proposal, the existing technical study on the feasibility of the bridge which connects Labuan and Menumbok must be updated to reflect current conditions.

A bridge connecting Labuan and Sabah is seen as a game changer for the development of both the federal territory and the state, but its estimated cost is a whopping RM6 billion.

Proper studies covering its economic, social and environmental impacts must be conducted. This is because Sabah’s development needs are not limited to Labuan with its population of 100,000 and the Kuala Penyu district where Menumbok is located, with its 20,000 residents. The state’s many isolated communities are in dire need of connectivity to main towns and onwards to major cities, as well as basic infrastructure such as electricity and water, education and healthcare facilities — all of which require huge amounts of funds to be implemented.

While the bridge will improve connectivity between Labuan and the rest of Sabah and not just Kuala Penyu, its benefits must outweigh its construction cost as well as the opportunity cost when more urgent upgrades of basic infrastructure in Sabah have been put on the back-burner.

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