Kota Kinabalu: The State Cabinet has decided to set up a task force to monitor water and electricity issues in Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
It would be headed by State Secretary Datuk Seri Sr Safar Untong and meet weekly or every fortnight to look into all issues pertaining to water and electricity supplies.
Speaking when chairing the Chief Minister’s Department post-Cabinet meeting at Menara Kinabalu, Wednesday, Hajiji said the State Cabinet has also directed that all heads of State Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) refrain from announcing or issuing statements on development projects without green light from the Cabinet.
Hajiji said all State GLCs are also required to refer to their respective Ministers or the State Cabinet before entering into any agreement to avoid future complications.
“The Cabinet view the matter seriously,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Minister noted several achievements, notably the taking over of regulatory authority over power supply by the State Government from the Federal Government.
He also acknowledged the strong performance of the newly-formed State Government subsidiary company, SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd.
He disclosed that SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd had already paid its RM50 million loan to the State Government in less than a year of its inception.
“From a zero-asset company, it has more than RM5 billion assets as of December 2023,” he said, adding that SMJ Energy had also successfully issued its RM900 million sukuk wakalah under the company’s multi-currency sukuk wakalah programme of up to RM10 billion in nominal value last year.
Other successes under SMJ Energy’s belt were the acquisition of 50 per cent equity in the Samarang oil field production, 25 per cent stake in Samur and in the near-shore LNG plant at the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP).
Present were his three Assistant Ministers, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan and Datuk Haji Ruslan Muharam, Safar, State Attorney-General Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, new Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah and heads of department.
