A total of 200 auxiliary police personnel will be stationed at East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) cable theft hotspots from November as part of enhanced security measures against cable theft, as well as to ensure smooth rail operations, Bernama has reported.
Among the measures are the installation of detection devices, alarm systems, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, while security guards and enforcement agencies have also been engaged, said Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) CEO Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak.
“Throughout the construction of the ECRL, we suffered losses of about RM4 million due to cable theft, including three cases last month,” Darwis said.
Malaysia Rail Link, as the project and asset owner, remained confident that the ECRL could begin operations by mid-December 2026, based on the positive results from systems integration testing, Darwis added.
Progress made in the testing and commissioning phase had allowed fault-free runs (FFRs) with the Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) for passenger services and electric locomotives for freight services to begin this month, one month ahead of schedule, without compromising safety or quality, he continued.
Yesterday, minister of housing and local government Nga Kor Ming said that the government is considering heavier penalties to combat cable thieves, especially those involving syndicates.
Cable theft has also affected other rail services. In December 2025, Prasarana stated that cable theft has cost the group RM20.6 million in losses over the past three years. This has also caused over 1,300 hours in delays to KTM ETS and Komuter services last year.
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