Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking said in a statement today that the BN government never bothered to fully develop Labuan to its true economic potential even though the island was touted as the BN’s bastion.
“Even our ex-Chief Minister, Tan Sri Harris Salleh, who at one time believed that Labuan could be economically prosperous under the BN/Umno-led federal government when he let it become a Federal Territory is today disappointed with what Labuan has turned into,” he added.
Leiking was responding to a statement by Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor who instructed Labuan Corporation, the island’s administrative authority, to create a special committee to help revive Labuan’s economy.
A Bernama report quoted the minister as saying the committee should comprise local people to come up with recommendations on how best to revive the island’s economy.
“Listen to the people’s pulse … people’s grievances and needs, only then we know what to do.
“Let’s wake up from dreaming that the oil and gas sector will rise again … as of now we have yet to see the bright side of the sector. As such, we must be prepared for the new paradigm shift in our economy, as well as be ready to get out of the economic turbulence,” Tengku Adnan said.
Leiking, who is the Penampang MP, said the deteriorating economic condition of Labuan actually started in early 2016.
“As a federal cabinet minister in charge of the federal territories who holds a top post in Umno, he (Tengku Adnan) should have been sensitive to the needs of Labuan all this while and come out with the requisite instructions to counter the negating economy on this island a long time ago.
“Only because the elections are around (the corner), he has come to Labuan with his BN’s famous ‘solution’ of setting up a committee to look into the matter.
“This is one ‘Responsible Federal Minister’ we have here!” he said sarcastically.
Leiking said Labuan was strategically located and could have become a great port.
But the BN government had shown that it cared little for Labuan despite Sabah having placed so much hope in it when the island was given away as a Federal Territory.
“For him (Tengku Adnan) to come here now and demand that Labuan folk support BN despite the public disappointment including that of ex-Chief Minister Harris is an utter insult,” he added.