FT Ministry mulls Kuraman Island tourism mega project

LABUAN: The Ministry of Federal Territories is considering the proposed RM8billion tourism mega project off Kuraman Island Marine Park, taking into consideration its economic benefits to Labuan.

Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the project would help boost the island’s tourism sector and provide economic spillover to the Labuan folk.

“We have discussed it with the Marine Department and Marine Park Department and they have no objection to it so long as the marine ecosystem is unaffected and well taken care of,” he told reporters after attending the ‘100th Year Anniversary of the Remembrance Day’ here yesterday.

The minister said the project, as suggested by the two departments, must first be carried out at the northern part of the Kuraman Island, while the southern part, where the centre of the marine park is located, must be left unaffected.

“We want the marine park to be developed so that it will become a tourist attraction and benefit the Labuan’s tourism industry ... but of course, we will not allow the project to destroy the marine ecosystem or there will be a lot of hue and cry from the environmentalists and eventually we will lose the potential of the tourism product,” he said.

Khalid said the keen developer is a Chinese investor, who has projected a whopping RM8 billion to develop an international island resort and marina destination on the island, creating 10,000 jobs to the locals.

“If everything is in place, construction of the mammoth 147- hectare project is slated to begin early next year,” he said.

Labuan Corporation chairman Datuk Seri Amir Hussien told Bernama the 10-year master plan from 2019 is expected to provide multiplier effects of RM1 billion for heavily oil-and-gas dependent Labuan and at least 800,000 tourist arrivals per year.

He said the project would have trickle- down effects on the local economy and the people as it would consist of 16 three- to six- star resort hotels, tourism town enclave, condominiums and apartments, international marinas, wellness centre, water world theme park and sea water lagoon and signature seafood restaurant.

“There will be three more manmade islands, namely Kuraman 2, 3 and 4, to be built in stages around the existing Kuraman Island and that will be fully completed in 2029,” Amir said.

He added that upon completion, the four islands would be transformed into the ‘Cancun’ of the Far East.

Meanwhile, more than 100 people comprising military personnel and those from government departments, scout movement, Malaysian Red Crescent Society, non-governmental organisations ( NGOs), chambers of commerce, ethnic associations and schools f locked to the Labuan War Memorial here from 8am to take part and witness in the prayers sessions and wreath- laying ceremony in memory of the fallen heroes of the First World War (WWI).

The Remembrance Day has become a significant and an official calendar of event in Labuan.

Every year on Sunday closest to Nov 11, Remembrance Day ceremony is conducted in full military tradition to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of 3,908 war heroes from Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, India and other Commonwealth Countries.

This year is the 100th Year Anniversary of the Remembrance Day since the WWI ended in 1918.

Among those involved in the wreath-laying ceremony were Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli, Labuan Corporation chairman Datuk Amir Hussien, British High Commissioner to Brunei Richard Lindsay, RMAF Commander of Air Region 2 Brigadier General Datuk Yazid Arshad, British Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia David Thomas, Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Michael Growder and Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Caroll Allnut. — Bernama