Nik Nazmi, Hajiji to chair committee meeting on Sabah’s electricity problem

PARLIAMENT | The Planning and Implementation of Electricity Supply and Tariff Committee meeting on June 12 will discuss and deal with Sabah’s recent electricity supply problem.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said he will jointly chair the meeting with Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.

“We know that a lot of investment is needed to improve the electricity supply in Sabah and the federal government remains committed in terms of helping to improve the infrastructure as well as the Sabah Energy Commission and related bodies,” he said.

Nik Nazmi (above) said this during the winding up session of the Renewable Energy (Amendment) Bill 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat today and which was later passed after being debated by 16 government and opposition MPs.

The bill, among others, will empower the minister in charge of the Renewable Energy Programme (TBB) to suspend the application of the act in any part of Malaysia.

Electricity regulation

Nik Nazmi said that after the handover process is implemented on Jan 1, 2024, the power to regulate electricity supply will come under the responsibility of the Sabah government through the Sabah Energy Commission.

According to him, the federal government had also provided a RM2.3 billion grant under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) and also a loan of RM1.14 billion under the 10MP for the implementation of projects to strengthen the electricity transmission and distribution system.

Meanwhile, he insisted that the government had never given an advantage to a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in the implementation of any TBB.

Instead, TNB still has to compete in the TBB market, such as solar companies registered with the Sustainable Energy Development Authority.

The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023 was also passed after being debated by five MPs.

The two bills are to strengthen the governance of the act as well as ensure that the process of returning the power of electricity supply to the Sabah government will run smoothly, especially for matters involving the implementation and regulation of TBB programmes in Sabah.

The sitting will resume on June 6.

- Bernama

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