Sabah Approves Initiatives to Boost Food Production; Solar Power; and Housing

In another move to further boost the economy, the government has approved several initiatives on 17 April 2024.

Among the initiatives are:

• Revival of the Sabah Padi and Rice Board to coordinate and boost food production.
• Granting of special permission to investors operating in industrial parks in the state to set up power generation facilities for their own use.
• Granting permission to allow shophouses, buildings and residential premises to install solar power systems without seeking approval from Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB).
• Setting of the age limit of applicants of the “My Second Home” programme (SBH-MM2H),to 30 years old and older; and allowing them to sell their property after five years.
• Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said the revival of the padi board is necessary to have a monitoring authority to reverse Sabah’s reliance on rice imports which is presently at 70 per cent importation of its rice needs. For the special permission to set up power generation facilities for own use, the move is to further attract more investors and sustain those already in operation affected by electricity issues; and to ease the power demand in Sabah.