LABUAN: It is unbelievable that the relevant Sabah Ministry is helpless to even carry out minor repairs on a jetty terminal so that the popular express boat service relied upon heavily by thousands of commuters between here and Kota Kinabalu can resume.
Head of the Labuan Chapter (Tourism) in the BIMP-EAGA Business Council here Jerry Teo urged the relevant authorities in Sabah to treat the Labuan-KK Express boat service with importance.
Advertisement“There should be no delay in this. The commuters are not expecting a five-star ferry terminal but to use again the terminal at Jesselton Point (near Hyatt hotel) which could be easily repaired at minimum cost and in short time. Jerry
“This has been the landing point until it ceased operations due to low passenger traffic caused by the Covid 19 pandemic in 2021.
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Jerry said after calls by many here and from Sabah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Zaliha Mustafa deserves credit to allowing the service to resume with the 50pc government travel subsidy available on other routes extended to Express boats as well.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“The Minister even confidently announced that the maiden run of the boat will be on Dec. 15 with the operator (Power Boat) stating that it was ready.
“Therefore, it came as shock when it became known that the facilities on the KK side were not ready,” said Jerry.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});It is understood that the terminal comes under the Sabah Works Ministry, which has yet to explain why the ferry service cannot resume as yet.
Earlier, LDA Holdings, which manages the Labuan International Ferry Terminal, said it has no choice but discuss with Sabah Parks for permission to use its jetty for embarkation and disembarkation.
Our report on January 13, 2025.
Its CEO Noor Halim Zaini said this used to be the embarking and disembarking point before.
Jerry said tourism is important to both Sabah and Labuan and there are economic gains for both parties.
He suggested that if for some unknown reason the jetty could be ready soon, an alternative site along the same coast should be considered.
“There are several points suitable for this purpose,” he said, adding that many in Sabah and here were looking forward for the service due its travel convenience and cheaper fare compared to RM198 by air to KK for one-way.
Jerry said it was sad that the Express ferry could not operate before the Christmas and New Year holidays. “We are all hoping services can now resume before the coming peak travel seasons of Hari Raya and Harvest festival.”
He said improved inter-port connectivity was also aligned with the BIMP-EAGA goals.
A check at the site at Jesselton Point showed that though it had not been used for some time, it did not appear badly rundown and could be restored easily if the Sabah authorities were interested. Daniel
However, Chairman of the Labuan Chamber of Commerce, Daniel Doughty, said the anger at the relevant Sabah Ministry is uncalled for.
He called for calm and constructive engagement to address the issue, as well as the importance of prioritising solutions over assigning blame.
"The blame game achieves nothing and only serves to deepen divides,” said Daniel, also Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTM), Sabah Section and Board member of the Sabah Logistic Council
"What is needed now is fresh engagement and dialogue to identify solutions and facilitate the realisation of this much-needed ferry service.”
He urged NGOs in Labuan to conduct thorough research and study the timeline of events leading to the suspension.
“A deeper investigation will reveal facts that debunk many of the arguments and accusations currently being directed at Sabah and its authorities.
Recognizing the importance of enhanced connectivity for economic development, CILTM Sabah had offered its expertise to facilitate Labuan’s goal of establishing a ferry service to Kota Kinabalu.
The institute is committed to work with stakeholders from both sides to address challenges and ensure the project’s successful implementation.
“This ferry service represents an important step toward fostering stronger ties between Labuan and Sabah,” he said.