Kota Kinabalu: The Tawau Sessions Court on Wednesday sentenced an undocumented man to 24 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing electricity through an illegal connection at a squatter settlement in Semporna.
The case marks the first imprisonment this year for an offence involving illegal electricity connections.
Abdul Hamid Siddiq was convicted on two charges under the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024.
He was jailed 24 months under Section 61(1) and six months under Section 61(8), with both sentences to run concurrently.
The prosecution was conducted by Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) Legal Officer Nureen Natasha Mohd Raffie.
ECoS Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid said the case was the third prosecution this year involving illegal electricity connections in squatter areas and the first to result in a jail sentence.
He said the court’s decision reflects the seriousness of electricity theft and illegal connections, which can cause financial losses, disrupt electricity supply, and pose risks of electric shock and fire.
Abdul Nasser added that ECoS would continue working with Sabah Electricity and other enforcement agencies to combat illegal electricity connections.
