Energy Efficiency, Electricity Supply Bills second reading postponed

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 6): The second reading of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill 2023 and the Electricity Supply (Amendment) Bill 2023, in the Dewan Negara, has been postponed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC).

Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim, in a statement today, said that the postponement was following his and seven other senators’ request to the Dewan Negara president, Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, to amend the bills.

He said this was because the bills did not ensure that the same rights were given to Sarawak, as enshrined in the Energy Commission Act 2001 and the Electricity Supply Act 1990.

“After a copy of the bills was distributed to members of the Dewan Negara, our research found that the bills allowed the NRECC Minister (Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad) to extend the use to Sarawak.

“This is not in line with previous practice by the federal government, such as the Energy Commission Act 2001 and the Electricity Supply Act 1990, where its use is suspended in Sarawak,” he said.

He said that, following the proposed amendments, the president of the Dewan Negara today informed that the NRECC will engage with the Sabah and Sarawak governments to align the two bills.

“We welcome the postponement by the NRECC, who took note of our concerns, which are related to Sarawak’s autonomous power in the field of electricity, and also the diverse energy resources available in Sarawak,” he said. – Bernama