IPOH, April 20 (Bernama) -- Perak will establish a special cross-agency committee to coordinate enforcement and response efforts against trespassing, sabotage and theft involving telecommunications infrastructure, including cable theft.
State Communications, Multimedia and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Committee chairman Mohd Azlan Helmi said the committee would be chaired by him, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as secretariat, while telecommunications companies and enforcement agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police, would also be involved.
He said acts of vandalism, including tampering with manholes to steal cables or disrupting telecommunications facilities, were serious offences and could be prosecuted under Section 325 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
Mohd Azlan said the provision was expected to be a stronger deterrent, as many cable theft cases had previously been prosecuted under general theft offences carrying lighter penalties.
He said the committee would hold its first meeting at the end of this month.
Earlier, during the winding-up session of the royal address at the State Legislative Assembly sitting, Mohd Azlan said open manhole cases linked to cable theft had worsened since 2024, posing risks to road users when covers were not replaced.
He said 539 cases were recorded that year, rising sharply to 908 in 2025.
“As of March this year, 377 cases have been recorded, an increase of 68 per cent compared with the same period last year,” he said.
He said the trend showed that trespassing and open manhole incidents remained widespread despite various measures, underscoring the need for a more comprehensive approach involving agencies and local communities.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azlan said a Rapid Response Team (RRT) had also been set up with MCMC and Telekom Malaysia (TM) to strengthen public safety, particularly in handling open manholes.
He said 14 RRT teams had been deployed statewide since April 15, with three based in Kinta and one each in Kampar, Perak Tengah, Batang Padang, Hilir Perak, Hulu Perak, Kerian, Kuala Kangsar, Larut Matang dan Selama, Manjung, Muallim and Bagan Datuk.
“The main function of the RRT is to respond immediately to complaints or reports of open manholes. Immediate action includes closing the manhole or placing safety cones or barricades as temporary protection,” he said.
He added that WhatsApp groups involving local councils, police, elected representatives and village heads had also been formed to improve communication and speed up information sharing on telecom infrastructure issues.
-- BERNAMA
