Malaysia to toughen penalties for rail cable theft

Malaysia's Ministry of Transport is drafting legal amendments to impose harsher penalties, including longer prison sentences and increased fines, for the theft of rail system cables. Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated that the ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Home Affairs to finalize these policy discussions.

The move follows repeated incidents of cable theft that have disrupted rail operations and threatened public safety. Loke noted that these crimes affect various operators, including MRT, LRT, and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), and have even impacted the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project before its commencement.

To mitigate these risks, rail operators have been advised to enhance preventive measures, such as installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations and deploying more auxiliary police officers to secure restricted areas.