KUCHING, Jan. 27 -- Any proposal to establish a third federal capital in Borneo must first address the fate of the long-alienated Bandar 2020 land, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The state minister of tourism, creative industry and performing arts said that further land acquisition would inevitably be involved, and Sarawak had already relinquished 2,020 hectares of prime land to the federal government during the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration for the unrealised project.

"It was meant to house federal administrative buildings along with accommodation for federal officers. However, nothing has happened on the 2,020 hectares of land," he said during a press conference at Baitulmakmur 2 yesterday.

He was responding to A...