Local businessmen want Pulau Gaya bridge

KOTA KINABALU: A bridge connecting Pulau Gaya to the mainland here will be more logical and appropriate for both the state and federal governments to seriously consider in view of the continuous increase in foreign tourist arrivals here.

Malaysian Consumer Protection Association (MCPA) Sabah Chapter president David Chan said this was part of the clamour the association had received from a number of tourism related company operators recently.

He added that other small businesses in the city also believed that the construction of the Pulau Gaya bridge would also help increase business revenue in the long run.

“The MCPA recently received calls from local business operators and the public expressing support for the construction of the Pulau Gaya bridge,” David said.

He said this group of people also believed that the proposed study for the RM14 million Labuan bridge was a good idea but claimed that Kota Kinabalu needed the Pulau Gaya bridge more.

According to David, connecting Pulau Gaya to the mainland would encourage investors and developers to expand their respective operations in terms of additional room accommodations, restaurants and eateries and create more cash moving activities, among others.

Since Sabah, particularly Kota Kinabalu, was presently in need of additional room accommodations for tourists, the association as well as many operators firmly believed that the bridge could be part of the solution to the present shortage, he pointed out.

Apart from new room accommodations, David noted that Pulau Gaya also had potential for construction of water parks and other merrymaking tourist facilities, including developing a service tourist industry to earn foreign exchange.

“The idea (Pulau Gaya bridge) is not new but had long been proposed. I think the time has come for the authorities concerned to see its feasibility and continue their efforts to decide on the bridge construction,” David stressed.