Labuan Corporation chairman meets BEBC on reactivating Labuan
KOTA KINABALU: Labuan Corporation chairman Datuk Seri Amir Hussein, met with the BIMP-EAGA Business Council Malaysia (BEBC) yesterday at a hotel here.
In attendance were BEBC national chairman, Datuk Roselan Johar, BEBC Sabah chairman, Carl Moosom, BEBC executive secretary, Junzuenn Basalan, SME Sabah president, N K Foo, incoming BEBC Labuan chairman, Azhar Othman, and his able assistant, Debbie Chin.
The meeting acknowledged that Labuan has seen better days, but Roselan was quick to add that the best days are coming.
“It is just that it has not arrived as yet. BEBC is hoping that Labuan can be turned into a University island and at the same time converted into a green city, ala the revival of the hanging garden city, Babylon, ”Roselan remarked.
Roselan disclosed that the Agricultural and Technical Universities of China have expressed interest to expand to Labuan, because if we were to prepare Sabah to be a food basket nation, then the younger population must be in sync with agricultural requirements and knowledge.
“It is a time for mental awareness and attitude changes, if we are to toil with the earth and the worms. The Universities have indicated that suitable research and development (R&D) facilities will be designed and accordingly we may be able to bring back all the forgotten tropical fruits to be replanted in Labuan. You just name it and we have it,” Roselan said.
Roselan added that Labuan has been targeted to be another Green City and the Asean Development Bank will be prescribing the rules and guidance to be adhered to for compliance purposes.
“It would be best if Labuan can gradually convert all its vehicles to electricity, including its buses and taxis, and Labuan Corporation would be in the best position to decide on our suggestion,” Roselan said.
Moosom then extended an invitation to Labuan Corporation to visit Chengdu in the very near future to witness the Technical Universities there and their sphere of operations in the hope that the agricultural department in Labuan can start to upgrade their knowledge on soil qualities in all parts of Labuan to ascertain it future use for plantings.
Meanwhile, Azhar gave assurance that the new lineup of BEBC Labuan will spend more time and efforts towards understanding the operating concept of BIMP-EAGA in order for Labuan to benefit more on the discussion table.