PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry has proposed amending the existing law to impose harsher punishments on those involved in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) cable theft cases, says its minister Anthony Loke (pic).
He said such cases cannot be considered a normal theft case because they have the potential to threaten public safety and affect public transport system operations.
“We have proposed to the Home Ministry to amend the existing law to provide harsher punishments for cable thieves.
“Stealing these cables could cause accidents in the public transport system.
“This is a serious offence,” Loke said at a press conference here, Bernama reported.
He added that he had held discussions with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on the matter in December and that further action would be taken by the latter’s ministry.
Incidents of MRT cable thefts have caused service disruptions and affected the daily schedules of users who rely on public transport.
The latest incident was reported to have occurred on March 3 along the MRT Putrajaya Line, near the Sri Damansara Barat station, resulting in three days of service disruptions.
On March 15, police arrested four suspects.
Separately, Loke said that while the conflict in the Middle East had resulted in a decline in passenger numbers from the region, the situation has created opportunities for local airlines to accommodate increased demand for flights to other destinations, particularly in Europe.
“For example, Malaysia Airlines has seen higher demand for flights to London and Paris as passengers have limited travel options through hubs in the Middle East,” he said.
On another matter, Loke said guidelines on the use of de-controlled vehicles and pick-ups for transporting goods has been drawn up and will take effect on April 1.
Aimed at avoiding confusion among road users regarding the use of vehicles for transporting goods, he said it is also to help ensure more consistent enforcement by the authorities.
Under the guidelines, goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 7,500kg are categorised as de-controlled vehicles and may be used by individuals or companies.
“They can be used to transport goods belonging to the owner that are related to their business activities without having to obtain an operator’s permit,” added Loke.
