KUCHING: A 49-year-old unemployed man from Miri has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court after pleading guilty to stealing electricity to power a cryptocurrency mining operation.
The accused Hii King Lee was charged under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance for dishonestly abstracting electricity at commercial shoplots at the 17th Mile, Jalan Kuching-Serian, on June 21, 2024.
Inspectors from Syarikat SESCO Bhd found 60 Bitcoin mining machines connected through illegal direct-tapping cables that bypassed the electricity meter.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin said on Thursday (July 24) such illegal mining activities pose serious fire risks and result in monthly losses of nearly RM4mil for SESCO.
He urged landlords to ensure electricity accounts are registered under tenants' names to avoid liability.
Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi ordered Hii’s sentence to run after completing a separate six-month term imposed by the Miri Sessions Court on July 11 for a similar offence.
He also faces multiple drug and corruption charges in Miri.
In a related case, shoplot landlord Chang Foh Foong was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal but remains liable for outstanding electricity charges. He was represented by Michael Kong.
Several officers from the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak and SESCO were present during the proceedings.
