KOTA KINABALU: Cable thieves in Sabah will even steal solar street lamps as long as there is demand for such items, the state assembly heard.
Assistant Works and Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Ruddy Awah said consistent patrols and operations were still not enough to wipe out such crimes.
He does not see these cases ending anytime soon because as long as there is a demand, the culprits will continue to steal.
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"Therefore, I call upon all state representatives and local communities to work together to monitor goings-on around you and report any suspicious activities to the police immediately," he said on Wednesday (July 22).
He said these recurring cases are not the fault of enforcement agencies but are a matter of demand and willingness on the part of the thieves.
Earlier, he told Datuk Aliakbar Gulasan (PN-Karambunai) that a total of 12 cases involving medium volt cable theft (11kV and 33kV) were recorded last year, seven here and six in Karambunai.
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As of June this year, a total of five cases – one here and four in Karambunai – were recorded, he added.
He said Sabah Electricity is working hard to curb these incidents, by increasing patrols and operations, adding manpower and working with other agencies.
Aliakbar also asked if solar lamps could be installed as streetlights instead of those running on electricity to reduce the risk of cable theft.
Ruddy said this was an option but unfortunately, even solar lamps were targeted by thieves.
