KUCHING: The Sustainable Resources and Wastes Management Bill, 2025 marks a significant step in advancing Sarawak's environmental sustainability, circular economy, and energy transition agenda.
Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Bill aims to establish a comprehensive legislative framework and a dedicated Authority to regulate, coordinate and promote sustainable resource and waste management across the state.
“The enactment of this Bill will confer upon Sarawak the authority to regulate sustainable resources and wastes in an effective and efficient manner.
This legislative measure reaffirms the State’s commitment to advancing its sustainability agenda, harnessing economic opportunities arising from the utilization of sustainable resources and wastes, and strengthening the framework for long-term environmental governance in Sarawak,” he said.
Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said this when tabling the Bill at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Tuesday.
He explained that Sarawak possesses diverse biomass feedstocks, including palm oil residues, woody biomass, sago wastes, and municipal solid wastes.
For instance, he noted that there are 84 oil palm mills processing 22 million tonnes of fresh fruit bunch annually.
This, in turn, generates approximately 4 million tonnes of empty fruit bunches (EFB) and 14 million tonnes of palm oil mill effluent (POME) each year.
These materials, he pointed out, can be converted into biogas, biofuels, biomass pellets, and biochemicals including bioplastics.
In addition, he said these mills also produce palm kernel shell (PKS), a high quality, high calorific value solid biomass with strong export demand, mainly used as feedstock for energy generation in countries like Japan and South Korea.
He further highlighted that Sarawak is also exploring the conversion of existing coal-fired power plants to biomass, thereby advancing the state's low-carbon transition.
Meanwhile, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the Bill provides for the establishment of the Sustainable Resources and Wastes Management Authority, a specialised body responsible for regulating and coordinating the management of sustainable resources and wastes, issuing guidelines and directions, approving plans and projects, coordinating with state and federal agencies, promoting investment, research, and innovation, as well as providing public education and awareness. -UKASnews
Reporter: Nur Nabilla
Translator: Ryan Lim
Photographer: Jaed Tepus
