KOTA KINABALU: The Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) has initiated court proceedings against individuals and companies accused of tampering with electricity meters.
The tampering activities have caused losses to Sabah Electricity (SE) amounting to more than RM3 million.
"Raids conducted by ECoS and SE since May 2024 have found strong evidence of meter tampering that caused the meters to fail to record the actual electricity usage.
"Preliminary information related to meter tampering activities was obtained from suspiciously low billing records," said ECoS chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid in a statement.
He added that, apart from the criminal prosecutions in court by ECoS, SE has also initiated civil lawsuits to claim losses starting in early 2025.
Five cases have been filed in the Sessions Court in Sandakan, Sabah, under Section 61(3) of the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024, which can result in a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM1 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if convicted.
"After this, ECoS will continue with the prosecution of nine more cases of electricity theft.
"All electricity theft activities must be dealt with firmly according to the law to protect the public interest and maintain the reliability of the electricity service," he said.
In separate prosecution sessions held on Nov 10 and 11 at the Sandakan Sessions Court, individuals Wong Kin Hong, Chang Wan Yee, Wan Kok Hsiung, and companies Phoenix Series (S) Sdn Bhd and Sama Marketing Sdn Bhd, pleaded guilty and were imposed a fine of RM20,000, with six months' imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
"The prosecutions carried out by ECoS are necessary to combat the increasingly rampant electricity theft activities in Sabah and to help SE avoid suffering more severe revenue losses if not curbed.
"ECoS will not compromise with any party that violates the laws provided under the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024," said Nasser.