Sabah Energy Commission to be set up April next year

TAWAU: A bill that will pave the way for the formation of the Sabah Energy Commission will be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly in April next year, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.

With the setting up of the Sabah Energy Commission, the state will have total control of the management of its energy resources, especially electricity, he said.

“This is part of the GRS-BN State Government’s demand in relation to our rights in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63),” he said at the meet-the-people session cum dinner at SJK (C) Kung Ming Hall here on Tuesday night.

Together with him were GRSBN candidates for Tawau, Lo Su Fui and Kalabakan, Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy.

The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman urged Tawau voters to cast their votes carefully and choose a representative who has their welfare at heart.

He said the GRS-BN candidate for Tawau, Lo was born and bred in Tawau, so he really understand the needs of the people here.

He said the cooperation between GRS and Barisan Nasional that was forged before the 2020 state election and was the best way for Sabah to move forward.

“This is the only way for us to develop Sabah and this cooperation must be translated into votes for the GRS-BN candidates in the 15th General Election,” he said.

Hajiji said Warisan was jealous of the GRS-BN State Government for having developed Sabah through the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ).

“They (Warisan) did not have such plan (when they were in government), they did not have a clear programme or platform.

“But the GRS-BN State Government, we have the SMJ, which is the slogan on our State crest that was formulated by taking into account the manifesto that we have offered the people,” he said.

Hajiji said several projects would commence next year here including construction of the Jalan Utara Tawau and the RM400 million Cintamata Tawau Water Treatment Plant.

Taking into account Tawau’s active participation in the advancement of culture, he said the GRS-BN State Government will build a Tawau International Cultural Centre.

Most importantly, he said was the people’s wellbeing and the State Government has been working to get a better return from its oil and gas sector through Petronas.

“All these revenues will be chanelled back to the people. There is no use for us to talk about mega projects but the people remain poor,” he said. Based on his observation, the Chief Minister was upbeat with the chances of Lo and Andi who is also Tanjung Batu assemblyman in the November 19 elections.

Some 1,000 people attended the dinner including Special Tasks and Coordination Minister Datuk Arifin Arif, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, Balung assemblyman Datuk Hamil Awang, Kukusan assemblywoman Rina Jainal, former State Speaker Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali, GRS and BN component party leaders.