Sabah Chief Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Haji Noor presenting about Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Bill 2024 – Utusan Borneo Picture
26 April 2024 –Â UTM Ocean Thermal Energy Centre through the continuous effort of its Founding Director cum Research Fellow, Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. A Bakar Jaafar, FASc is delighted that The Sabah State Legislative Assembly has approved the new Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Enactment 2024 and Energy Commission of Sabah Enactment (Amendment No. 2) 2024 on Thursday, 25 April 2024.
Speaking from his own perspective about championing the subject – “I must say that this has been a long haul since 1975-1976, 1980-1984, 2006-2008, 2012-2024. I must also say that there had been “one positive straw that had broken the camel’s back” was the follow up action taken by YB Liew Chin Tong when I mentioned to him by the potential of OTEC in Sabah…on 21 March 2023 at Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA). He arranged and chaired a meeting with the Delegation of Sabah led by YB Ginger Phoong on 16 May 2023 for me to give a briefing on OTEC. The subject has been closely followed by Datuk Ir Abdul Nasser & his excellent (ECoS – Energy Commission of Sabah) team since then. As we are very much aware ECoS has been officially established on 3 Jan 2024. The rest is history..!”
“49 years in the making! Not within one, but within two generations. Come to think of it, it has ben that long. Oil and Gas was first discovered & produced in Sarawak 1915; Malaysia formed in 1963; PETRONAS incorporated in 1974…almost 60 years.”
“By the way, OTEC was discovered by the French in 1881, the knowledge relating marine renewable energy including OTEC & Salinity Gradient has been revealed in the 7th Century, about 1440 years ago: (refer) Al-Quran (24:40) and (Chapter) Ar-Rahman 55: verse 19-20.”
Various news source:
1. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/25/sabah-state-assembly-passes-new-ocean-thermal-energy-conversion-enactment
2. https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/233046/sabah-assembly-approves-ocean-thermal-energy-conversion-enactment/
3. https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/101752/sabah-passes-new-ocean-thermal-energy-conversion-otec-bill
4. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/04/25/sabah-legislative-assembly-passes-three-bills/130855
5. https://www.utusanborneo.com.my/2024/04/25/dun-sabah-lulus-tiga-ruu
6. https://www.theborneopost.com/2024/04/25/ecos-will-be-empowered-to-regulate-ocean-heat-energy-in-sabah/
7. https://www.theborneopost.com/2024/04/25/sabah-gears-up-for-green-hydrogen-through-ocean-thermal-energy/