LABUAN — Labuan Corporation (LC) tonight honoured 42 officers with the 2025 Excellent Service Award in conjunction with its Appreciation Night and Silver Jubilee launch, marking 25 years since the agency began steering the development of the island.
LC chairman Datuk Mohd Husni Mohamad Salleh said the recipients represented the top eight per cent of the corporation’s 523 employees, having achieved scores of 90 per cent and above.
He said each recipient received a certificate of excellence and an incentive of RM1,000 in recognition of their outstanding service and commitment to the organisation.
“The appreciation is also extended to 19 retirees for 2026, including nine who had retired as of June, whose contributions will always be remembered,” he said in his speech at the event held at the LC multipurpose hall.
Two officers were also recognised with the Academic Recognition Award for pursuing lifelong learning through self-funded studies, with incentives of up to RM1,250.
Mohd Husni said LC’s silver jubilee should not only be seen as a celebration of past achievements, but also as a turning point to strengthen the corporation’s work culture, improve its systems and enhance its role in shaping Labuan’s future.
He said LC had recorded several achievements, including resolving 1,888 public complaints and organising international events such as the Borneo Flora Festival (BFF), the Labuan International Sea Challenge (LISC) and Road To MAHA.
However, he said the corporation must also be prepared to face the reality that Labuan still had major socio-economic challenges, including an unemployment rate of 6.3 per cent, which was about twice the national average.
Mohd Husni said Labuan, despite managing energy wealth flows of about USD40 billion to USD50 billion annually, hosting more than 5,000 mid-shore and Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (IBFC) companies, and serving as a base for major oil and gas operations, still faced challenges in improving the well-being of its people.
He said Labuan’s aspiration to be a world-class financial centre must be supported by stronger infrastructure and connectivity, including improved RoRo ferry services, better flight access and a more competitive international financial ecosystem.
He also called on LC staff to move beyond their comfort zones and adopt a more proactive and high-impact work culture to ensure the interests of the people and the island remained the corporation’s top priority.
Citing findings from the Labuan Industry Task Force (LITF), Mohd Husni said six critical bureaucratic challenges had been identified and must be addressed.
He said these included delays in planning permission approvals, business licensing bureaucracy, the need to strengthen enforcement, procurement transparency, better asset management, and the need to empower Invest Labuan to be more proactive in attracting foreign investment and opening up new opportunities.
“These are institutional challenges that must be addressed together so that the efforts of our Excellent Service Award recipients can be supported by a more efficient, transparent and competitive system,” he said.
Mohd Husni also expressed confidence in LC chief executive officer Rithuan Mohd Ismail, saying the management must protect high-performing staff while addressing bureaucratic challenges with courage, wisdom and integrity.
He said LC should not depend solely on government grants, but should explore new approaches that are more viable, subject to the consideration and approval of the relevant authorities.
Among the proposals being studied are the Labuan Offshore Trade Liquidity Exchange (LOTLE), private financing infrastructure through public-private partnership models, the Borneo Trade Gravity Centre, and blue economy and high-value technology initiatives.
Mohd Husni said the proposals could help unlock Labuan’s economic potential, strengthen its role in regional trade, and create new skills and economic opportunities for the people of Labuan.
He said LC’s 25th anniversary should mark a new beginning for the corporation, with its staff serving not only as public administrators but also as architects of Labuan’s new economy.
“Beginning tomorrow, we are not merely public administrators; we are the architects of Labuan’s new economy,” he said.
