TAWAU, Nov 14 — An enactment 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 Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

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

"This is part of the GRS-BN (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Barisan Nasional) State Government’s demand in relation to our rights in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63),” he said in a statement today in conjunction with his visit to Tawau.

Meanwhile, he said several projects in Tawau would commence next year including construction of the Jalan Utara Tawau road and the RM400 million Cinta Mata Tawau Water Treatment Plant.

Besides, 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 (TICC).

Hajiji said the state government has been working to get better returns including 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 added. — Bernama