OWNERSHIP of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) will be returned to the Sabah government following the cabinet’s approval, said Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

Yeo said two task forces will be set up to oversee negotiations between the state and federal powers with the aim of finding a win-win deal by early 2020.

“For a start, there will be two task force one on financial and the other will be on technical,” she said after paying a courtesy call to Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal today.

“The first task force will (oversee negotiations) between the federal Ministry of Finance and the state government, while the second one (is for negotiations) between my ministry and the state government.

“The return of ownership is dependent on the outcome of the negotiations.”

There have been many calls for SESB to be placed under the purview of the state government, which ceded its powers over the energy company to the federal government 34 years ago.

Federal-controlled utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) currently holds an 80% share in SESB,while the Sabah Government holds 20%.

Yeo said of all the states, Sabah’s power supply problems were the most challenging to resolve.

Yeo said a separate energy commission will be set up for Sabah to regulate power supply in the state, adding that the right to plan the state’s power facilities should be transferred from Putrajaya to the state government. – January 18, 2019.