KOTA KINABALU: The State Cabinet has agreed to set up a task force to monitor the  water and electricity issues in Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji  Haji Noor. 

“The task force to be headed by State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Sr Safar Untong. will meet once a week or every fortnight to look into all the issues pertaining to water  and electricity supply,” he said when chairing the Chief Minister’s Department post  cabinet meeting at Menara Kinabalu near here today. 

The Chief Minister said the State Cabinet had also directed that all heads of State  government-linked companies (GLCs) to refrain from announcing or issuing statements  on development projects without any green light from the Cabinet. 

He said all State GLCs are required to refer to their respective minister 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,” 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, Datuk Hj Ruslan Muharam, State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Sr  Safar Untong, State Attorney-General, Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City, Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah and heads of departments. 

Ends