Kota Kinabalu: A 32-year-old subcontractor was fined RM12,000, in default four months’ jail, for carrying out internet installation work near a high-voltage power line without a permit, resulting in the fatal electrocution of his younger brother.
Mohd Norazmie Madang pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Marlina Ibrahim to installing a YES Home Fibre Internet system near an 11kV high-voltage power line owned by Sabah Electricity (SE) at Kg Sinoko, Jalan Bambangan, Membakut, on Jan 14 this year.
The offence, under Section 55(1) of the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024 and punishable under Section 55(2), carries a maximum fine of RM300,000 or three years’ jail, or both, upon conviction.
In mitigation, defence counsel Azhier Farhan Arisin pleaded for leniency, requesting no custodial sentence and only a fine of RM10,000 with a shorter default term, citing that Mohd Norazmie was deeply remorseful and had already suffered emotionally from losing his 20-year-old brother, Mohammad Roy Zaimie Madang, in the incident.
“He did not act recklessly but out of ignorance of the need for prior authorisation. He must now live with the guilt of losing his own brother — a punishment no court can measure,” Azhier told the court, adding that Mohd Norazmie was a first-time offender, married with three young children, and the sole breadwinner of his family.
However, Prosecuting Officer Andryeno Thomas from the Energy Commission of Sabah urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing the importance of obeying electrical safety laws.
Investigations revealed that the incident occurred when the victim, a Wi-Fi installer for Orex Enterprise owned by Mohd Norazmie, accidentally threw a fibre optic cable over SE’s live 11kV bare wire line, causing an electric shock that led to his death.
The workers were not wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), and no work permit had been obtained from SE.
The project was subcontracted under SwiF Fintech Sdn Bhd, appointed by YTL Communications Sdn Bhd for the YES Home Fibre Internet installation.
