Latest news with #ElectricitySupplyAct
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Police 'lock down' Selayang buildings, screen 1,435 foreigners
KUALA LUMPUR: A multi-agency raid led by federal police in Selayang saw two buildings "locked down" and 1,435 foreigners screened. The vast majority of those screened were from Myanmar, while others were from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Nepal. Some 160 were children. The raid, dubbed "Op Kachi", began at 10.45pm with 560 personnel, including those from the General Operations Force, Immigration Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and Civil Defence Force, closing off all entry and exit points in Selayang Utara. Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department deputy director (General Operations Force) Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi said 225 residential and business units in the two shoplot buildings were raided. "The operation was conducted following two weeks of surveillance based on complaints over the high number of undocumented foreigners in the area. "When we sprang into action last night, some of them even tried to evade our checks by climbing onto rooftops to hide," he told reporters at the scene today. Of those screened, 1,222 were from Myanmar, followed by Bangladesh (142), India (9), Indonesia (4), and Nepal (1). Suzrin said the Myanmar nationals comprised 702 men, 360 women, and 160 children. Many of them were Rohingya holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards. He added that the Immigration Department would verify the authenticity of the UNHCR cards. "I've been told that a number of them have been flagged, as scans of their cards yielded negative results. "They will be brought to the Immigration Department office in Putrajaya for further checks," he said. A number of foreigners were subsequently detained, though details were not immediately available. Suzrin said they would also be taking further action against those found employing foreigners without proper permits, as well as individuals providing shelter to undocumented migrants. He added that personnel from the Energy Commission, National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and Tenaga Nasional Berhad who joined the raid also uncovered illegal renovations and unauthorised water and electricity connections in the buildings. "Various offences have been detected under the Electricity Supply Act, Street, Drainage and Building Act, and Local Government Act. Further investigations and enforcement action will be taken by the relevant authorities," he said. This is the second time Bukit Aman has launched a crackdown by locking down an entire area known to be populated by foreigners. In December 2023, over 1,000 officers and members of the GOF surrounded the "Mini Dhaka" area in Jalan Silang.
The Star
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
‘Watch your tenants' utility bills closely'
PETALING JAYA: Revising current laws and introducing a better monitoring system on tenants is a must to curb electricity thefts especially those caused by illegal crypto mining, experts say. There should be a rental database on tenants, said criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy of Universiti Sains Malaysia. 'If a tenant frequently has high utility bills, or if there are reports of electrical theft or meter tampering, he could be flagged in the system for further scrutiny. 'This could help landlords, law enforcement authorities and utility companies prevent illegal mining operations before they become widespread,' he said when contacted . There have been cases of property owners crying foul after they ended up with huge bills when their tenants secretly conducted illegal crypto mining operations, which consumed a lot of electricity. Sundramoorthy said the government should look into amending the Electricity Supply Act to ensure joint responsibility between homeowners and tenants on matters related to electricity consumption. 'By making both parties accountable, it would force tenants to think twice before engaging in illegal activities,' he said. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Comm Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain spoke of a need for a comprehensive approach. Besides a closer multi-agency cooperation to ensure a more coordinated response – from intelligence sharing and inspections to prosecution – he said: 'There should be stricter requirements for building rental oversight, where landlords must verify the background of tenants and their intended business before leasing out commercial or industrial spaces.' Additionally, implementing mandatory energy audits on high-consumption commercial lots could help flag abnormal electricity usage early, he said. 'Moreover, there must be heavier penalties for repeat offenders. Not just fines, but possibly asset seizures or criminal charges where applicable to serve as a stronger deterrent.' He emphasised on public education, too. 'Communities need to understand that electricity theft is not a victimless crime. It leads to higher tariffs for honest consumers, strains the national grid, and poses serious fire and safety hazards to surrounding areas,' he said. Lawyer Alvin Tan Keng Yi said that while no specific protections exist under the law for property owners, several steps may be taken to prevent illegal cryptocurrency mining or electricity theft. This would include provisions in tenancy agreement to require the tenant to register an account with Tenaga Nasional Berhad before the tenancy begins, he said. For example, he said this should specify that the premise must be solely used for residential purpose and that illegal activities are prohibited. 'Before entering into a tenancy agreement, the owners should conduct due diligence. For example, the owner may verify the identity of the tenant by requesting a copy of his identification card, or request pay slip or utility bills to verify personal information. 'For foreign tenants, the owner may request for their employment letter for verification purposes,' he said. Tan said the landlord may initiate civil action against the tenant for any breach of the tenancy agreement in cases of illegal activities on the premises. Senior lawyer Datuk Joy Wilson Appukuttan said there is no legislation that specifically govern landlords and tenants but these parties could determine their rights under their tenancy agreement and general law. 'Any breaches of the tenancy agreement entails the parties to resort to court action for relief and remedies.' He said a comprehensive landlord-tenant law is crucial which includes the setting up of tribunal that will provide immediate relief for landlords to act against errant tenants. Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch Thief (Marah) founder Dave Avran concurred, saying that revising current legislation is the way to go. 'It could lead to improved enforcement, empowering the government to tackle the issue effectively.' However, he cautioned that it would not suffice to just revise the law. 'There must be an improvement in the monitoring systems to identify unusual increases in electricity usage,' he said. He called for proper and thorough screenings of potential tenants. 'This is to prevent the property being rented by unscrupulous people.' 'Educating landlords and tenants about the dangers and legal repercussions of illicit crypto mining is also essential,' he said.
The Star
12-05-2025
- The Star
Power theft soars 300% as illegal mining booms
Energy Commission (ST) Johor regional director Nazlin Alim Sadikhi checking on the cryptocurrency mining machines during the raid in Iskandar Puteri on Aug 28. PETALING JAYA: The global transaction of cryptocurrency has led to a rise in illegal mining, causing a nearly 300% jump in electricity thefts between 2018 and 2024 in Malaysia, reveals Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). The cases were detected through TNB's joint operations with the Energy Commission, the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and local councils. 'Joint operations and nationwide raids have successfully shut down illegal mining setups, contributing to an increase in detected cases from 610 in 2018 to 2,397 in 2024. 'These enforcement actions have safeguarded the stability of the power grid,' TNB said in a statement to The Star. Between January 2020 and December 2024, TNB said the average number of crypto-related electricity theft cases stood at 2,303 per year. ALSO READ: Don't let power thieves profit 'For the same period, the average number of complaints related to cryptocurrency was 1,699, with an average of 340 per month. 'The number of complaints reflects increasing public awareness of reporting on illicit crypto mining activities,' it added. Under the Electricity Supply Act, anyone who tampers with or alters any electrical installation is liable to a fine of up to RM1mil, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. Offenders could also be charged with theft or mischief under Sections 379 and 427 of the Penal Code. Among the mechanisms utilised to detect suspicious excessive usage of electricity were through continuous consumption patterns analysis. 'Additionally, we work closely with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to uphold fair and sustainable electricity usage, therefore ensuring reliability for all customers,' it added. To enhance its strategies in combatting illegal crypto mining, TNB had expanded the deployment of its smart meter which could improve detection of electricity theft and enable efficient monitoring. The smart meter is a device that records the daily electricity usage and communicates this information to TNB via radio-frequency waves for monitoring and billing. TNB has also proposed stricter legal enforcement under the Electricity Supply Act while employing artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to further improve detection and flagging of suspicious consumption of electricity among users. There have been a number of reports about cases of illegal electricity connections. In January, news emerged that about 60 house and shop owners in Perak were saddled with electricity bills ranging from RM30,000 to RM1.2mil due to illegal electricity connections by their tenants who engaged in cryptocurrency mining. On April 30, police dismantled a syndicate on April 30 for stealing electricity for illegal bitcoin mining in Hulu Terengganu and Marang in Terengganu. Amid the global digital economy, Malaysia has the potential to be a key hub for blockchain technology and digital assets and use of technologies like tokenisation, stablecoins and cryptocurrencies.
