ABDUL Rahman Dahlan today denied that the Labuan-Sabah bridge feasibility study will be an “ordinary” one, assuring that the project is a priority and will take off soon.

The minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) said the study was crucial as it would determine the best approach to constructing the bridge.

“It’s like building a house. Everything needs to be carefully planned first.

“There has been talk about whether there is a need to carry out a feasibility study, and why construction can’t just be carried out.

“The last study on the bridge was conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah in 2010. However, it was just a regular study that covered the benefits of having the bridge, and did not cover the technical aspects.

“This is why a feasibility study is needed, so that we can focus on the technological and economic aspects. We want to know the best approach to building it.”

He said the EPU had approved more than RM14 million for consultancy fees, and the party that would carry out the feasibility study would be appointed next month during his visit to Labuan, along with others from federal ministries.

“The study is expected to commence next year. It won’t take long for the company to complete the study as matters related to the bridge are not overly technical.

“The study will address questions like, where should the bridge start and end, and how the project will be financed, either through the government’s developmental budget or a private financing initiative.”

Rahman said there had been previous suggestions that the bridge would connect an island with Menumbok on the mainland, and that it would be connected directly to the Pan-Borneo Highway.

He said more details would be revealed next month in Labuan.

The announcement on the bridge’s feasibility study was made by Prime Minister Najib Razak during the tabling of Budget 2018 on October 27.

Talk about the bridge, however, had been making the rounds in Sabah since before the 13th general election.

People in the state generally view Najib’s announcement on the study as a step backwards. – November 8, 2017.