SANDAKAN: The Sabah government is mulling over the proposal to construct a railway line from the west coast to the east coast, says state Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony.

He said the Sabah State Railway Department had conducted a study on the first phase of the railway line connecting Kota Kinabalu to Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Kudat, while the second phase would be from Kudat to Sandakan and Tawau.

“We know that Indonesia will be moving its capital city to Kalimantan and this (railway line to Tawau) will benefit the state and federal governments in terms of trade, ” he said after visiting Pulau Berhala near here.

Peter said the existing railway line connects Kota Kinabalu to Tenom, over a 134km stretch.

On his visit to Pulau Berhala, Peter said his ministry will consider the request to build a new jetty at the island under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

He said the cost of building the jetty was estimated to be RM2mil and it would replace the present one which can no longer meet the needs of the more than 3,000 residents on the island.

Peter also said the state Water Department would provide three tanks with a capacity of 37,854 litres of water each for the residents of Pulau Berhala.

At present, the people on the island are getting their water supply from three wells.

Peter also said he would be discussing with Sabah Education and Innovation Minister the request from the people on the island for a primary school.

Currently, students on the island have to take a boat ride each day to go to school in Sandakan. — Bernama