PKR supports Labuan bridge proposal

LABUAN: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is in favour of the longstanding proposal to building a bridge connecting Labuan island and mainland Sabah.

Its vice-president, Nurul Izzah Anwar, hailed the proposed bridge as a safe, secure and efficient means of connecting the people of the duty-free island and Sabah.

She said the issue of transportation in the country was always at the forefront and focus of the political leaders.

“My point is that when we are using that route (bridge), it makes so much sense to ease transportation to ensure that the locals here can frequent neighbouring areas in a safe, secure and efficient way,” she said to Bernama after attending the ‘Jelajah Reformasi 20 Tahun Bersama Rafizi Ramli’ campaign here on Tuesday night.

Nurul Izzah, who is the MP for Permatang Pauh in Penang, said the bridge could be considered seriously by the government of the day although its construction was subject to a study and financial allocation from the government.

“I will be writing to Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad (on the need to build the bridge). We have eyes and ears and, when you see what the people are facing, of course, you have to do your bit,” she said.

Nurul Izzah and a delegation had taken a speedboat from Menumbok on the Sabah mainland to Labuan.

On another matter, she said she was in the final stage of drafting an appeal to Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to seek a pardon for Muhammad Lukman who was recently sentenced to death for possessing, processing and distributing medical marijuana (cannabis oil).

Muhammad’s lawyer had said that his client had only wanted to assist patients suffering from ailments that could be treated with the drug.

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Rafizi, who is challenging Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali for the post of PKR deputy president, said he also supported the proposal to build the bridge.

Khalid, on a fact-finding mission to Labuan last weekend, said the RM15-million technoeconomic feasibility study on the proposed Labuan-Menumbok bridge had been scrapped due to the unreasonable high cost and that the project remained for government consideration.