Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg has announced that the state’s Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) will be transformed into a corporation to expand its functions beyond regulation, making it a more autonomous and business-oriented entity.
The Borneo Post reported Abang Johari as saying that under the planned restructuring, the board would be empowered to generate its own revenue, manage projects and drive waste-to-value industries.
“We want the board to operate independently, not as a typical government department but as a strategic corporate entity with its own scheme of service and accountability to shareholders,” he said at NREB’s Excellence and Service Awards in Kuching last night.
He added that the move would be supported by institutional reforms such as the restructuring of government-linked companies and the establishment of an integrated service system to streamline operations.
He also said that a mandatory waste collection law would be tabled at the next legislative assembly sitting to support the new waste-to-value industries.
“This marks Sarawak’s independence in environmental governance. We now have the freedom to set our own standards and manage our resources according to our needs,” said Abang Johari, who is also the state natural resources and urban development minister.
He said Sarawak’s environment-related agencies such as NREB should adopt the corporate discipline seen in state-owned entities Petroleum Sarawak Bhd and Sarawak Energy Bhd.
Abang Johari also said that the government would act as a facilitator and shareholder, while agencies would be expected to operate commercially, generate revenue, and reward performance.
The Sarawak assembly passed the Natural Resources and Environment Bill in 2024, with the aim of empowering the state to exercise full authority over key environmental areas such as resource conservation, environmental management, pollution control, and sustainable development.
