KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must adopt a more comprehensive and intelligence-driven approach to tackle the persistent problem of cable theft affecting MRT services and other critical infrastructure, says Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He said that despite heightened security measures and increased vigilance, incidents of cable theft continue to occur with worrying frequency, indicating that existing methods may no longer be sufficient.
“When the same problem persists despite repeated effort, it is not the effort that is lacking — it is the approach,” he said when contacted on Thursday (June 11).
Lee said cable theft has evolved beyond opportunistic criminal activity and now appears to involve planning, coordination and a clear understanding of vulnerabilities within infrastructure systems.
“Responding to such threats with conventional measures alone will not produce different results,” he said.
He added that the continued occurrence of such incidents suggests authorities may be viewing the issue too narrowly.
Cable theft causes lengthy and disruptive repair works, often forcing commuters to abandon public transportation and return to private vehicles, he said.
“This undermines the very purpose of the government’s substantial investment in MRT and other rail systems,” he added.
He said that service disruptions also impose economic costs on individuals and businesses through lost time and reduced productivity.
“In many industries, such disruptions would be treated with the same seriousness as operational or safety incidents.
"They would trigger a reassessment of systems, processes and underlying assumptions,” he added.
Lee called for a willingness to move beyond established methods and examine the broader ecosystem that enables cable theft.
“This includes understanding not only those who carry out the act, but also those who facilitate and ultimately profit from it,” he said.
He warned that focusing solely on isolated incidents without addressing the wider network behind the crimes would allow the problem to persist.
Describing public infrastructure as a national asset, Lee said its protection requires openness to new ideas, stronger partnerships and more effective strategies.
“The challenges we face today cannot be resolved by persistence alone. They require clarity of thought, adaptability and, above all, the willingness to acknowledge that a different approach may be necessary,” he said.
