Sarawak premier says Putrajaya agrees to incorporate state carbon trading law as part of federal legislation

Malay Mail

KUCHING, April 10 — Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today said the federal government has agreed to incorporate the state carbon trading law as part of a federal law that will be tabled in Parliament in due course.

He said he had already informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the federal government must introduce the law within the legal parameters in carbon trading without delay.

“I was informed by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah who attended the National Energy Council meeting recently that the prime minister will introduce the law that will be based on our carbon trading law,” he told reporters during his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here.

He said the federal government will send its officials to study the Sarawak law for incorporation into the federal law on carbon trading.

“You see, the carbon trading regime must be credible and recognised by the international community and our state law is based on what has been recommended by the World Bank,” he said.

He said for Malaysia to move forward, it must have legal parameters for the country to get involved in international trade on carbon as well as the desire to mitigate emission of carbon.

He said carbon trading must be placed with the federal government because any agreement on carbon trading is on a government-to-government level.

He said Sarawak cannot be a signatory because it is a state government, not a national government.

Abang Johari said carbon, according to the United Nations’ definition, is a commodity and should be placed under the federal government.