LABUAN: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Labuan has called for a ministry in the Sabah state government to be assigned the task of overseeing the development of Labuan.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier stated that the federal government would work with Sabah to develop the island.
PBS Labuan division head Datuk Peter Mak believes such a move will complement, formalise and institutionalise the Prime Minister’s intention to see Labuan progress as a federal territory that shares many historical and socio-economic similarities with Sabah.
The party noted that the proposed administrative arrangement is not new. In Sabah, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Community Development and People’s Wellbeing have already been tasked with overseeing education and health, respectively, both of which are federal matters.
“We are optimistic that the Sabah state government will be receptive to this initiative, as the state has significant social, political and economic interests in the island. With the federal and state governments working hand in hand, Labuan’s development will be accelerated,” Mak said in a statement today.
To begin the process, the party suggested that a working committee be set up to draft terms of reference and related matters to be placed under the proposed overseeing ministry.
The call to formalise cooperation between Sabah and Putrajaya for Labuan’s wellbeing was also highlighted by Mak, who is also PBS vice-president, during its annual general meeting on Saturday (Aug 16).
The meeting was officiated by Datuk Arthur Sen, PBS vice-president and Special Officer to the Sabah Chief Minister.
