PUTRAJAYA: The government will review existing laws to impose harsher punishment for cable theft as the crime can affect strategic projects such as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
The consensus was reached during a recent meeting between Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and key railway operators, including KTMB and ECRL.
"We agreed that there is an urgent need to amend the relevant laws to deter such thefts," said Saifuddin Nasution at a press conference on Tuesday (Feb 3) after an engagement session with Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) personnel here.
Also present were Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Awang Alik Jeman and AKPS director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
He called on all rail operators to ramp up investment in security technology, such as installing CCTVs and smart monitoring systems.
"Look at countries like China and Germany, their rail operators invest heavily in security tech. This is an approach that must be jointly adopted by enforcement agencies and operators here," he said.
He said the two types of cable most frequently targeted are signal and power supply cables, which have high resale value.
"Pahang has been recorded the highest number of cable theft, where ECRL installation is most active. We expect such incidents to shift to Terengganu and Kelantan as construction moves into those states," he said.
The penalty for cable theft is only a RM1,000 fine, a penalty deemed disproportionate to the financial losses suffered by rail operators and the government. – Bernama
