KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Legislative Assembly passed three Bills on the last day of its current meeting Thursday (April 25).

The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Enactment 2024 and Energy Commission of Sabah Enactment (Amendment No. 2) 2024 were tabled by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Ariffin Arif tabled the third Bill, the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Enactment 2024.

According to Hajiji, the energy Bills will pave the way for Sabah to regain regulatory control of the state's power supply.

He said the OTEC Enactment would establish a new renewable energy source in the state, marking it a key initiative within the Blue Economy framework.

Hajiji said the Energy Commission Enactment revises Section 2 to broaden the definition of "renewable energy" to encompass ocean thermal sources.

Meanwhile, Ariffin said the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Enactment Bill revises three clauses.

“Clause 1 includes the short title and commencement date of the proposed enactment, while Clause 2 introduces a new Section 63A granting religious enforcement officers access to computerised data, regardless of storage medium.

“Clause 3 amends Section 79 of the enactment to specify that in cases involving offences related to electronic publication, the place of publication is where the material is seen, heard, or read by any individual,” he explained.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/25/sabah-assembly-passes-three-bills-on-last-day-of-meeting