KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Dewan Rakyat has unanimously approved two constitutional amendments that would allow Sabah to have full autonomy to regulate its own electricity.

Energy and Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said that the two identical clauses involve two Bills namely Renewable Energy Act 2011 (Act 725) and Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act 2011 (Act 726).

The first clause that was approved involves an amendment to the "Brief Title” and "Commencement of Force”, while the second clause aims to amend Section 1 of both Acts by inserting a new subsection which is subsection (3) to empower the Minister to suspend the entire force or any provision of both Acts in different parts of Malaysia.

"In conclusion, I am confident that the proposed Bill will be able to strengthen the governance of this Act and ensure that the process of returning the power of electricity supply to the Sabah state government will run smoothly in the future, especially for matters involving the implementation and regulation of renewable energy programmes in the state of Sabah,” he said during the Parliamentary session today.

Previously, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had set in motion plans to completely take over Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) gradually with the setting up of the Sabah Energy Commission, as well as the state’s gas resources.

According to a statement issued by his department, Hajiji co-chaired a series of high-powered committee meetings with Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.