The Labuan-Kota Kinabalu ferry service was delayed due to Labuan’s failure to consult Sabah and unresolved safety issues at Kota Kinabalu’s jetties, said Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmy Yahya.

“They should have engaged with the local government before making the announcement. Instead, discussions only happened after it went public,” Shahelmy told reporters in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday.

On December 7, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced that the ferry service would resume on December 15.

However, Shahelmy said Labuan only contacted Sabah authorities after the public announcement.

“Communication between the ferry operator, Suria Capital, and the Sabah Ports Authority only started around December 17 or 18. But by then, it was too late,” he said.

Shahelmy revealed that Jesselton Point, the original jetty for the ferry service, was already declared unsafe since early 2023 when stressing Labuan’s Sabah short notice about the resumption plans.

“The jetty has been deemed unsafe for more than a year. Labuan should have checked before making their plans,” he said.

Several Labuan-based NGOs had earlier blamed Sabah’s port infrastructure for the delay.

But the Labuan Development Authority (LDA) said in a statement that the delay was caused by “safety concerns” rather than inadequate preparations.

Shahelmy said Labuan had also requested to use the Old Kota Kinabalu Port as an alternative, but the port is already designated for roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) services.

“They also wanted to use the south jetty near the old port, but it needs repairs as well,” he said.

Dismissing claims that Sabah authorities had been unresponsive, Shahelmy insisted Labuan failed to consult Sabah properly.

“The report that the ministry didn’t take action or visit the site is baseless. Labuan didn’t consult us properly, and we’ve been dealing with safety issues at the jetties for some time now,” he said.

The Labuan-Kota Kinabalu ferry service remains in limbo as both sides work to resolve technical and safety issues. – January 14, 2025.