Kota Kinabalu: A company was fined a total of RM25,000 for installing electrical wiring at its premises without approval from Sabah Electricity (SE) and for dishonestly taking electricity, which caused losses estimated at RM6,258.12 for the period from April 1, 2024, to March 12, 2025, to SE.
Sessions Court Judge Marlina Ibrahim ordered MBS Tuning Sdn Bhd to pay the fine after its company director pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to two charges on Friday.
On the first count, the company was fined RM20,000, in default 30 days’ jail, for dishonestly taking electricity through a direct connection from the main supply line without passing through the meter belonging to SE into the company’s premises, which caused losses to SE.
The offence took place at 9.15am on March 12, 2025, at Lorong Minyak in Inanam, near here.
The company was charged under Subsection 61(3)(a) of the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024, which is punishable under Subsection 61(3)(ii) of the same Enactment, carrying a fine of between RM20,000 and RM1 million, or a jail term of up to five years, upon conviction.
On the second count, the company was ordered to pay a fine of RM5,000, or 30 days’ jail in default, for installing electrical wiring within the company’s premises without written approval from SE, the licence holder, at the same place and time.
During mitigation, counsel Sherzali Asli, who represented the company, asked for a lower fine to be imposed, saying that the company had paid compensation to SE for the losses.
In reply, Prosecuting Officer Andryero Thomas from the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECOS) urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the grounds that the company had committed a serious offence which caused losses to SE and to serve as a lesson to the company and would-be offenders.
The court heard that on the said day, a team of enforcement officers from ECOS and SE conducted an enforcement operation at the premises of MBS Tuning Sdn Bhd.
Upon inspecting the premises, the team found that it did not have an electricity supply account or a meter registered with SE, and did not have any valid electricity supply contract.
Further inspection revealed an illegal three-phase electricity connection directly connected from the SE service line to the premises without passing through a valid SE electricity meter.
The electricity supply was then channelled directly to the distribution board inside the premises and was used to operate the business, which consisted of a workshop, office, and warehouse.
The inspection also found an electricity meter at the premises; however, the meter did not belong to SE and was allegedly used to deceive the authorities, while the actual electricity supply was directly connected from the SE service line without passing through a valid meter.
As a result of the act, SE suffered an estimated loss of RM6,258.12 for the period from April 1, 2024, to March 12, 2025.
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