The government is considering heavier penalties to combat cable thieves, especially those involving syndicates. Minister of housing and local government Nga Kor Ming said that the move would need amendments to existing laws, and that his ministry (KPKT) is in constant communication with the home ministry (KDN) on the matter.
“It has been a few times that the LRT at Kelana Jaya couldn’t function, not because of operational mistakes, but because of cables stolen by syndicates,” Nga said in parliament today, adding that the act of receiving stolen goods is a crime, and those involved can be punished.
“That’s why we need to give an important signal – if you’re caught, appropriate punishment will be given to ensure that we continue to protect public safety and peace,” the Teluk Intan MP said, reported by Astro Awani.
While the minister said the right things, and tougher laws are indeed needed; as with most things in Malaysia, it’s all about enforcement. ‘If’ they are caught, with the key word being if. By the way, it’s not just the LRT Kelana Jaya Line that’s been facing cable theft – the MRT Putrajaya Line is a frequent victim.
The PYL faced power loss and a stuck train yesterday morning at Taman Equine and back in March, the line saw service disruption for three days, affecting thousands of city commuters.
Elsewhere, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) hasn’t even started operations and its cables are already being ripped out for metals, and KTM is also no stranger to cable thieves. More on the worsening problem here.
The post Gov’t considering heavier penalty for cable thieves – Nga appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
