THE imposition of stricter penalties and longer jail terms for both individual and corporate offenders under the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (Amendment) Bill 2025 will act as a crucial deterrent and safeguard Sarawak’s biological resources.
Tebedu Assemblyman, Dr Simon Sinang Bada, said the amendment to Section 22, Section 28, Section 34 and Section 35, and insertion of new Section 29A and new Section 33A are an integral and important part of the amendment to the principal ordinance.
“SBC Ordinance was a conservation tool. It was and still is our legal backbone to ensure that Sarawak biodiversity becomes a source of our sustainable development, and scientific progress,” he said during debate time at the august House today.
Dr Simon also said the amendment to the bill allowing the SBC Council to set up a business entity will open up more economic opportunities to investors, both domestic and international business communities and collaborators and to stop or prevent biopiracy.
“The amendment to Section 6 that opens the door for the Council to create, develop, apply and own intellectual property rights for all the research and development (R&D) under SBC will protect the Council from the threat of potential biopiracy,” he said.
