BY NURFARAHIN OKI & JAMES WONG
KUCHING: Sarawak has seen a notable surge in cable theft cases in the first quarter of 2024, with numbers rising to 45 cases compared to 27 cases during the same period last year, marking a 67 per cent increase.
Utilities and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi said Sarawak was experiencing a concerning trend of vandalism targeting utility and telecommunication assets.
“Among the popular stolen items are feeder copper, connectors, cables, batteries, air conditioning units and compressors.
“Kuching, Serian, Miri and Bintulu have recorded the highest cases, particularly involving cables and street lighting cabinets, according to the police. These thefts not only affect assets owned by SESCO and Sarawak Energy Berhad but also disrupt services provided by Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and Telekom Malaysia (TM).
“The law of supply and demand plays a role here and we hope to address this issue effectively,” he said.
He made these remarks during a press conference held at the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) Tower here today.
Commenting further, Julaihi said although they occurred throughout Sarawak, most cases happened in the Kuching area.
He said in 2023 alone, the damages amounted to approximately RM19.7 million, a significant increase from RM3.8 million in 2022.
“The overall trend reflects a rise from 521 cases in 2022 to 1406 cases in 2023, across various sectors including telecommunications, water supply, electrical supply, and gas supply, marking a 170 per cent increase,” he said.
Julaihi also acknowledged that among the reasons for the increase in theft of telecommunications facilities may be due to increase in steel prices.
“I understand that there is high demand for these items, but we hope it can be stopped in the near future,” he said.
