By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 20: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today unanimously passed the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with a firm assurance that any company formed under the amended law will be subject to government reporting and auditing, and must ultimately benefit the people.
Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, who tabled the Bill, assured that while it enables the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to commercialise biological resources through companies and subsidiaries, the people’s interests remain paramount.
“It must be clear that whatever business these companies are involved in, it must ultimately benefit the people,” he said.
The Amendment Bill is a major step forward in unlocking Sarawak’s vast economic potential in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and broader bioindustries, by enhancing commercialisation mechanisms through SBC while strengthening enforcement and protecting Sarawak’s rights.
“With this amendment, we hope to strengthen enforcement to ensure our biodiversity is well-protected, appropriately utilised, and advanced through rigorous research and development, supported by patents, copyrights, and trademarks,” he said.
He emphasised that as global attention turns to nature for cures and innovation, Sarawak must position itself to ensure its biodiversity contributes meaningfully to scientific discovery and economic advancement.
“SBC will certainly upgrade their intellectual prowess to overcome challenges, and we will upgrade them to a higher level,” he added.
Sagah said the updated law will better align Sarawak’s biodiversity governance with national laws and international protocols, empowering SBC to leverage the State’s biological assets for scientific advancement and economic growth.
Among the changes are expanded definitions—including “microorganism” to now include viruses and viroids—and broader powers for the SBC Council to seek external funding, own and license intellectual property, and develop R&D facilities.
A new Section 6A allows the formation of companies to commercialise SBC’s research outcomes, while tougher penalties are introduced to deter illegal collection and misuse of biological resources. Individuals can now face fines of up to RM500,000 and up to 10 years’ imprisonment, while companies may be fined up to RM5 million.
Additionally, the Bill introduces financial penalties for non-compliance, with the Council empowered to impose fines of up to RM20 million—tenfold for repeat offences—with all collections channelled into the State Consolidated Fund.
The Amendment also expands the Biodiversity Centre Fund to include proceeds from benefit-sharing agreements, ensuring financial sustainability and equitable resource management. The Chief Executive Officer of SBC will also have broader enforcement authority, including the power to seize and release items and temporarily release arrested individuals on bond.
This marks the most comprehensive update to the Ordinance since 2014. The changes follow a 2022 review that identified key gaps in commercialisation capacity, intellectual property protection, and regulatory alignment—paving the way for Sarawak to take the lead in biodiversity-based innovation and industry development. — DayakDaily
