KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa today launched the Public Participation Programme for the 2040 Labuan Structure Plan Report, and Flag Hoisting Campaign in conjunction with this year’s Federal Territory (FT) Day.
In her Facebook post today, she said the Labuan Structure Plan Report is an important document that will outline various development policy proposals related to physical, economic, environmental, and social planning in the Federal Territory of Labuan.
“This report will determine the direction of Labuan’s development by 2040. To complete this report before it is gazetted, it is essential for people to get involved and their views be included to make this Structural Plan more comprehensive and sustainable,“ she said.
She said the Labuan Corporation, in collaboration with PLANMalaysia, will hold at least nine outreach programmes with stakeholders from today until February 29 to explain the plan and gather the views of as many people as possible.
Dr. Zaliha said this bottom-up approach will enable Labuan to be developed in line with the needs and wants of its people.
“Once this public opinion process is completed, the report will be presented to me before being gazetted at the latest by the end of the second quarter of 2024,“ she said.
Dr. Zaliha also said several policy decisions were made during yesterday’s meeting, among them to prioritise the completion of basic infrastructure in Labuan to ensure the comfort of the people.
These involve three 70-kilometre pipe replacement projects to be completed by early June this year or the latest by the first quarter of 2025.
“We will not be able to execute all of Labuan’s plans if basic aspects such as water, electricity, and connectivity are not resolved first,“ she said.
Following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s urging of ministries and government agencies at the end of last year to conduct programmes in Labuan, Dr. Zaliha said the Federal Territories Department has lined up 92 programmes for 2024.
As a result of discussions with the state Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Tourism Malaysia Labuan, and regional stakeholders as well as the business community, Dr. Zaliha has also directed the establishment of a special committee to be led by Labuan Corporation.
This committee will be responsible for identifying tourism products to boost the sector.
She said engagement by all parties which include civil servants, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, industry players, and the people of Labuan is critical to make the island’s aspiration a success.-Bernama
