By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 18: Telecommunications (telco) companies using Sarawak’s spectrum will have to pay levies and licences to the Sarawak government, according to Bukit Assek assemblyman Chieng Jin Ek (GPS).
Chieng stated that with the passing of the Land Code Amendment Bill 2022 which was tabled today in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here, Sarawak will be able to control and regulate the spectrum, and telco companies will be required to obtain the Sarawak’s government approval.
“In terms of ‘spectrum’, it is the invisible radio frequencies that wireless signals travel on.
“At the moment, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has the rights to issue spectrum licences for telco companies such as Maxis, Celcom, Digi, Telecom etc.
“It is unfair to Sarawak, and it is the time now for our State to have our share too,” he said.
He continued stating that the Bill amendment not only provides a more comprehensive definition of ‘land’, as well as new definitions of ‘carbon storage’ and ‘spectrum’, but also grants the Sarawak government the authority to control and regulate the land and airspace including broadband spectrums in Sarawak.
“And to make provisions for regulating the use of land both onshore and in the Continental Shelf of Sarawak for the storage of carbon dioxide by oil and gas companies operating at Sarawak as part of the global strategy for the reduction of emission of carbon dioxide under the Paris Agreement for climate change, which was adopted in 2015,” he said.
The Bill was tabled by Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali. — DayakDaily
