LABUAN: Labuan’s prominent businessman Datuk Seri Peter Kong (pix), the founder of the Ro-Ro ferry service died early this afternoon at the Labuan Nucleus Hospital. He was 65.
His sister Rozi Kong said Peter died of an infection at 12.4opm. He has three sons, including a doctor. Peter’s sister Angela Kong said her brother’s remains would arrive at his son’s house in Taman Fulliwa tomorrow afternoon and after funeral services, would be buried at the Buddhist cemetery near Taman Fulliwa on Wednesday (Feb 1) at 2 pm.
Peter was a prominent tycoon in this duty-free-island, having pioneered the most important Labuan’s sea transport of roll on-roll off (ro-ro) ferry service that served the Labuan-Menumbok-Labuan route for over a decade via Labuan Ferry Sdn Bhd.
He was one of the pioneers of MCA in Labuan and later became Labuan MCA youth leader (in the 1990s), and later joined Sabah-based party UPKO as Labuan UPKO advisor (2017), before moving to Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (as deputy president [Chinese quota], and he was known to have been vocal for many public issues.
Peter bought the oldest hotel in Labuan, Waterfront Hotel (formerly owned by Prominent businessman Tan Sri Chua Ma Yu’s family), and later named the hotel as Billion Waterfront Resort.
To journalists in Labuan and Sabah, he was the friendliest businessman and normally entertained newsmen whenever they had news coverage assignments on the island. -Bernama
