SANDAKAN: Two people were fined by the Sandakan Sessions Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to stealing electricity through illegal connections in Kampung Pangiran Galpam squatter area.
The accused, Mohd Yunus Ali and Jolma Hanafi, were charged under Section 61(3)(a) of the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024.
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These are the first electricity theft cases from squatter settlements to be prosecuted and convicted in court.
Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) CEO Datuk Ir Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid said the cases were brought to court within 14 days after an integrated operation on April 22.
He said the swift action shows ECoS’s commitment, together with enforcement agencies, to curb electricity theft in Sabah.
The operation involved the police, Immigration Department, Sandakan Municipal Council, Sabah Water Department, land authorities, and Sabah Electricity.
ECoS Prosecutor Nureen Natasha Mohd Raffie said such operations would continue, especially in squatter areas, to ensure public safety and protect the electricity supply system.
She added that another similar case is still in court, while three more are under investigation.
Since taking over electricity regulation in 2024, ECoS has recorded 31 convictions for meter tampering and 21 compound cases.
