Labuan's tourism target

By BAVANI M

The Pearl of Borneo, already known for its offshore financing facilities and oil and gas industry, is poised to become a tourism hub.

More people-centric projects planned for Labuan to spur the Pearl of Borneo’s economy

IT HAS been almost three decades since Labuan was declared a Federal Territory, but the tourism potential of the island located off the northwest coast of Borneo has remained largely untapped.

However, things are set to change with Labuan being included in the Economic Transformation Programme for its oil and gas sector and the Labuan Corporation’s plan to form a committee called “Invest Labuan”.

This is to further boost Labuan’s status as a duty-free destination.

Already an International Offshore Financial Centre (IOFC), tourism is set to add another facet to the island’s economy.

The government is planning more people-centric projects for the Federal Territory of Labuan to spur the island’s economy and provide job opportunities for thousands of its residents.

The Pearl of Borneo, already known for its offshore financing facilities and oil and gas industry, is poised to become a hub for tourism with emphasis on helping the locals promote their businesses.

Labuan MP Datuk Yussof Mahal said there are many potential investors who are keen on working in the various sectors to develop the tourism industry of the island as they see great potential in its natural resources and beauty.

Heaven on Earth

Pulau Papan, one of Labuan’s most beautiful islands, will soon be transformed into a lively place of fun and leisure as plans are in the pipeline to turn it into a multi-million ringgit resort akin to Singapore’s Sentosa Island.

According to Yussof, the government through Labuan Corporation, the local authority which administrates the Federal Territory of Labuan, is currently in talks with investors who are keen to develop the island into a resort.

“We have a few investors who are keen to develop the Pulau Papan’s marine parks and sea sports as well as constructing hotels to promote the area,’’ he said.

The island’s natural beauty is an attractive option for investors who can tap into the pristine environment offered by the island and the marine sport industry.

Pulau Papan is only a five-minute boat ride from Labuan and is the most developed of several islands near Labuan, with beautiful landscaping and an old colonial lighthouse adding to its charm.

The island has a mini agriculture park with an interesting collection f plant life from the region.

It is a popular weekend getaway for people from Brunei as well as locals who go there for trekking, picnics and snorkelling.

Chalets are available for rent, but tourists, especially foreigners, prefer to rough it out by camping on the beach.

Apart from Pulau Papan there are five other islands that make up the Federal Territory of Labuan.

Plans to upgrade the other islands and their beaches with facilities to attract visitors are also underway.

The other islands include Kuraman, Rusukan Besar and Rusukan Kecil.

Yussof added that, since Labuan is a duty-free zone, setting up duty-free shops could be one way to attract even more tourists.

Shopping haven

New shopping malls and hotels will also be coming up in Labuan in the near future.

Yussof said that a Brunei investor is keen on investing RM20mil to build a textile mall in Labuan.

“Land has already been indentifed for the mall and things are still in the prelimininary stages,” he said.

And with a few other projects planned, Labuan could soon become a landmark destination for vacations.

On the old Labuan Hotel, he added the hotel will be demolished and replaced by a new hotel. RM200mil will go into the hotel project, which is expected to start at the end of the year.

“We are also working with University Malaysia Sabah to open a campus in Labuan offering international courses focused on the oil and gas industry to attract students from Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia. We have the expertise since Labuan is a hub for the oil and gas industry,” Yussof said.

Homestay centre

Renowned for its rustic homestay programmes, Labuan Corporation, in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry, has allocated RM1.5mil to upgrade the homestay programmes in Labuan’s water villages to boost tourism.

“Water villages are a feature of Labuan, hence, we have indentified three water villages to benefit from basic infrastructure such as bridges and better roads,” he said, adding that the bridges would be constructed in Kampung Bebuluh Laut, Kampung Patau-Patau and Kampung Ranca-Ranca.

He added that the construction of rural roads connecting villages is estimated at RM400,000 while the bridges will cost RM600,000.

Yussof also said that allocations would be given to villagers to upgrade their homestay facilities as well as help them carry out small businesses to complement their homestay programme.

Halal hub

The RM86mil Labuan Halal Distribution Hub (LHDH) located in Kiamsam will be fully operational by June with phase 1 and phase 2 already fully completed.

Once the hub is fully operational, it will become the centre of distribution for Malaysian halal products for the domestic and international market.

Yussof said the RM50mil phase 1 and 2 involved building cold-storage facilities as well as a warehousing complex, dry warehouses, cold room facilities and a traceability system. Phase 3, comprises the construction of the jetty for the boats to load goods, is still underway.

He added that Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry has already appointed a company to carry out the running of the hub.

“We are confident that our products exported to Muslim countries will be received with trust as we are certified by Jakim (Malaysian Department of Islamic Development),” Yussof said.

“Currently we already have someone from the seafood industry who will be working wih us to export to Japan and Taiwan,” he said, adding that he is confident more investors will come as Labuan offers the best prawns and tuna in the region.

With the completion of the halal hub, Yusoff is confident that the halal industry will contribute 30% to Labuan’s economic growth as well as creating a spin offs in other areas and provide employment for locals. The halal hub is located in the south-west of Labuan.

The LHDH development, covering a 40.5ha site, will focus on the marine fisheries and aquaculture industry.

FT Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin had said recently, the hub, with its stringent, high-quality standards, would further raise the name of Labuan in the international arena just as its status as an International Business and Financial Centre did in the early 90s.

Dipetik dari - The Star, Monday 23 April 2012