KOTA KINABALU, Dec 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s move to transfer regulatory power of gas supply to the state is a positive move forward for the state towards realising the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Welcoming the decision, Hajiji said authority over Sabah’s resources has always been the aspiration of the state and its people.
“The state government has been steadfast in our pursuit to take control of and manage the state’s oil and gas resources,” he said.
The chief minister said he had raised the issue of fulfilling MA63 during his first meeting with Anwar after he was appointed prime minister.
Anwar had announced that the Cabinet has agreed that regulatory power over Sabah’s gas supply should be transferred from Putrajaya through Petronas to the state government.
He said the move had already been done in Sarawak, and now it would be done in Sabah as well after receiving the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Upon the Yang di-Pertuan Agung’s consent, the state assembly will convene a special sitting to approve and gazette the Sabah State Bills for gas supply, and the Energy Commission of Sabah will take over all regulatory power for onshore gas supply (regasification, transmission, distribution, use of gas by private licensees and retail) in Sabah with immediate effect.
Both states had been asking the federal government to return control of oil and gas resources to the state governments.
Anwar also said more issues pertaining to MA63 have been resolved and that the details will be announced next month.
