REVIEW of existing laws will be carried out in stages and based on priority to ensure effective implementation and alignment with current administrative and governance needs.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the review is to ensure legislation in the State remains relevant and effective.
“Laws need to be periodically assessed so that their implementation is aligned with current administrative requirements and good governance,” he said, when winding up for the Chief Minister’s Department during the State Assembly sitting.
Responding to a proposal by Syed Ahmad Syed Abas (Balung) to review laws over 20 years old, including those enacted since 1985, Hajiji said the State Government had taken note of the suggestion.
He emphasised that relevant ministries, departments and agencies continuously propose amendments to existing laws based on necessity, priority and the effectiveness of implementation.
He cited the Agriculture Produce Board Enactment 1981, which, although enacted in 1981, only came into force in 2022 and was amended in 2024 to provide additional functions and strengthen enforcement provisions.
This, he said, demonstrates that older legislation is periodically assessed and improved to ensure its continued relevance.
Hajiji also noted that the Local Government Ordinance 1961 was amended in 2000 and again in 2022, about 22 years after the previous amendment, to address current needs in local government administration and to enhance the legal powers of Local Authorities (PBT) in Sabah.
The Chief Minister said the State Government established the Sabah Law Reform Advisory Council earlier this year, chaired by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri David Wong Dak Wah, together with senior legal practitioners from the private sector.
“The council has been mandated to review and propose amendments to existing laws to ensure alignment with contemporary administrative and governance needs,” he said, adding that the review would be carried out in stages based on priority, implementation effectiveness and current requirements to ensure Sabah’s legislation remains relevant and effective.
