He said the proposed bridge will be listed as the main agenda of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and Public Private Partnership Unit, and that he would meet the prime minister to discuss the matter.
“The idea (bridge) is not new but was proposed a long while back.
“I think the time has come for us to consider its feasibility and continue our efforts to decide on the bridge’s construction.
“I have been informed by the Labuan MP that the Sabah Government is keen on the proposed project,” Rahman told a press conference after launching the Asian Business Conference here today.
Rahman said under the current economic situation, the project was a possibility via public-private partnership.
“If the project is solely undertaken by the government, it might not be feasible under the current circumstances.
“What we have been talking about is a win-win situation, a collaboration between the public and private sectors, with a business formula to it.”
Rahman said the EPU was now awaiting the blueprint detailing the business models of the proposed bridge project from the local authority of the Labuan Corporation (LC).
He said prior to this, the EPU had received a number of project proposals from various parties but many were either not feasible or depended too heavily on government funding.
“I will initiate talks between the Sabah and federal governments and Labuan local authority leaders on the project,” said Rahman, adding that it would be economically advantageous for both Labuan and Sabah once the bridge was constructed.