SIBU: Individuals and businesses are continuing to steal electricity and are endangering lives, despite Sarawak Energy’s numerous reminders.
This was demonstrated recently when a fire broke out at a cryptocurrency mining centre at Jalan Pedada here due to illegal electricity connections.
Before this, another centre located at Saberkas Commercial Centre in Miri, caught fire for the same reason.
The electricity provider conducted emergency power supply shutdowns after firefighters received a distress call during the two separate fire incidents.
Sarawak Energy said the fires are believed to have been caused by unsafe, illegal connections and overloaded circuits.
“Sarawak Energy’s technical crews discovered direct tapping cables hidden in the wall, bypassing the meter and connecting to the incoming mains wiring,” it said in a statement today.
Around 100 cryptocurrency mining servers were destroyed at both locations, leading to losses for the electricity provider of over RM273,000 in stolen electricity during the incident in Sibu over the course of 12 months.
The incidents have prompted Sarawak Energy to issue a warning about the dangers of electricity theft including short circuits, fire, appliance damage, and loss of lives.
Sarawak Energy’s meter inspection teams are trained to detect various electricity theft methods, including tampered metres and underground direct tapping.
With the use of smart meters, power thefts can be detected and disconnected remotely.
The company said they will continue to work with the Sarawak Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, the police, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its fight against electricity thefts.
“Landlords are advised to exercise caution and due diligence when renting out their properties to protect themselves from potential illegal activities carried out by their tenants.
“Meters should be registered under the tenant’s name to avoid the risk of liability for electricity theft.
“Members of the public are reminded not to trust service providers claiming to be able to reduce electricity use or allow owners of premises to enjoy unlimited usage of electricity through meter tampering,” it said.
Those caught stealing electricity will be charged under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance, with penalties of up to RM100,000 and/or five years in jail.
Sarawak Energy encouraged individuals with power theft information to step forward and contact its customer care centre at 1300-88-3111 or email customercare@sarawakenergy.com.
The company assured that all information received will be kept strictly confidential.
