THE Ministry of Transport (MOT) is drafting amendments to the law to impose heavier penalties on cable thieves, Minister Anthony Loke said today.
He said the proposed amendments would be finalised before details were announced and subsequently tabled in Parliament.
“We need to finalise the amendments first, so it would not be appropriate for me to announce any details at this time,” he told a press conference after opening the Transport Expo Asia (TXA) in Kula Lumpur today.
Cable theft has become an increasing concern, with police recently dismantling four groups suspected of involvement in robbery and cable theft targeting East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) infrastructure and Telekom Malaysia (TM).
The operations were conducted from Oct 12 until yesterday in the Temerloh and Mentakab areas.
Loke said ECRL and other transport operators were also examining the use of technology, including closed-circuit television (CCTV), to prevent cable theft that could disrupt transport operations.
“If preventive measures cannot be implemented effectively, no matter what penalties are imposed, they will not solve the problem.
“So, operators are looking at other approaches, including technology that can be used to prevent these activities,” he said.
He also welcomed participation from start-ups, including those based at universities, to develop innovative solutions to tackle cable theft.
Loke said the problem was not confined to Malaysian transport operators but was also faced by operators in many other countries. - October 20, 2026