KUCHING (March 30): In view of rampant cases of fire arising from power theft in recent times, Sarawak Energy, the state power utility company, is actively carrying out meter inspections and investigations statewide together with the state Ministry of Utilities and the police.
Sarawak Energy, in a statement today, reminded the public that stealing electricity is an act which endangers lives and causes damage to customers’ properties including electrical appliances, which may lead to fire.
Thus, members of the public have been urged to report any power theft information via Sarawak Energy’s Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111 or email at [email protected]. All information will be treated as confidential.
Meanwhile, three electricians, aged between 19 and 20, were recently caught red-handed while assisting a 24-hour mini market operator at Taman Sukma Commercial Centre near here to steal electricity.
It said that the operator had been connecting power supply illegally by tampering with the wiring with the electricians’ assistance since early this year.
“The electricians were arrested by a team consisting of personnel from Sarawak Energy’s utility arm, Syarikat SESCO Berhad (SESCO), Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) of the Ministry of Utilities Sarawak, and the Police, when they were in the process of connecting the supply.
“The operation was following a public tip-off and close surveillance of the premises for the past months,” said the statement.
The business operator was also remanded to assist in investigations for power theft, it said.
The past records also showed that the business operator is a repeat power theft offender and had continued stealing electricity, even though the supply had been disconnected nine times previously.
