Sabah parties should take the lead in reviving Labuan’s handover vision, says Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah-based political parties in Labuan must work together with a shared goal to realise the vision for the island when it was handed over to become a Federal Territory in 1984.

Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said the current situation in Labuan is far from the original expectations.

“In fact, Labuan, once a duty-free island, no longer enjoys the same duty-free status as it once did.

“This concern is based on fact. Even former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh has acknowledged that his original objective for Labuan’s handover has failed,” Kitingan said at the launch of the Sabah STAR Labuan division.

In 1984, he said, the hope was for Labuan to be developed economically, creating ample job opportunities and increasing income levels for its people with the island becoming a catalyst for development in Sabah and Sarawak.

Kitingan said that the changes in Labuan have strayed far from the original 1984 aspirations, as the culture and traditions of some Labuan residents who were once part of Sabah have been alienated.

“Today, some Labuan residents feel sidelined in the Federal Territory’s administration. They want to be involved in policy-making and implementation,” he said.

Kitingan, who is Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I, said that the concerns were not being raised out of anger or resentment but are simply calls for positive changes that would make Labuan a source of pride for all.

He said Sabah STAR established its Labuan division through the cooperation with fellow component parties under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition with the aim for Labuan’s politics to one day be led and managed by Sabah-based parties.

“This issue has also been raised in Parliament. I myself have repeatedly called for the restoration of Labuan’s duty-free status, but unfortunately, our pleas have yet to be heard,” he added.