Power theft robs S’wak of modern electricity supply system — Rundi
KUCHING: Electricity the remains a crime that robs Sarawak of millions of ringgit, which could otherwise be invested in extending, reinforcing and modernising the power supply and distribution system, Ministry of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi has reiterated.
According to him the ministry, through its Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU), continues its crackdown upon electricity the since the launch of the enforcement campaign in 2010.
“We launched this multiagency effort together with Sarawak Energy Bhd and the Royal Malaysia Police.
“Stealing electricity has major consequences. Through loss of revenue, it deprives Sarawak Energy of revenues from the genuine paying customers, which could have been invested towards a more reliable and modern power system for Sarawak,” said the minister in a press statement released yesterday.
Prosecution of all electricity the cases is handled by the ministry and the Sarawak State A orney-General’s ( SAG) Chambers.
Electricity the is a crime under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance, which carries a penalty of RM100,000 and/or five years in jail upon conviction.
The ministry, through AG Chambers Sarawak, had prosecuted 10 power the cases in court since 2017 and all the defendants pleaded guilty to the offences.
The consolidated efforts have led to a major improvement in the statistics on electricity the , since the campaign kicked off nine years ago, with a significant reduction in non-technical losses and recovery of arrears of over RM100 million annually .
Last year, a joint operation with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ( MACC) led to a significant meter-tampering bust.
The operation brought down a syndicate in Miri, which was manning a laboratory, where the culprit was apprehended by MACC on bribery offences, and was also charged by the police for possession of fake meter covers.
In relation to this case, Sarawak Energy discovered about 100 cryptocurrency mining servers were tapping power directly, bypassing the electricity meter.
During the operation, more than 500 imitation meter covers and 90 stolen electricity meters were seized, making it the largest electricity the bust so far.
It also revealed that more than 30 meter-reading contractors’ staff collaborating with the service provider to manipulate the meter readings. All of them have resigned, or have their services/contracts terminated since.
“Electricity the is extremely dangerous as unsafe wirings and direct tapping can causing fires and even electrocution, leading to injuries and even deaths,” warned Dr Rundi.
He added that the ministry would continue to work closely with Sarawak Energy and relevant agencies, to curb power the and would not hesitate to take legal action against the perpetrator, ‘so that Sarawakians could be provided with the modern power system that they deserved’.