KUALA LUMPUR – The Transport Ministry (MOT) has urged the Home Ministry (KDN) to amend existing laws related to the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system to impose heavier penalties for cable theft.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said cable theft should not be taken lightly as it poses serious safety risks to the public and disrupts public transport operations.
“We have proposed to KDN to amend the existing law to provide harsher punishments for cable thieves,” he said during a press conference here today.
Loke stressed that the offence goes beyond simple theft as it could potentially endanger the public.
“It is not just an offence to steal cables. It is also an offence that threatens public safety because stolen cables could cause accidents within the country’s public transport system. So this is a very serious offence,” he added.
He also revealed that discussions on the matter had already taken place with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail last December, and the Home Ministry is expected to take further action.
The recent MRT cable theft incident caused significant service disruptions, affecting the daily commute of thousands of public transport users.
Police recently arrested four suspects believed to be involved in the cable theft on the MRT Putrajaya Line during a special operation.
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad said in a statement that the arrests were the result of intelligence gathering and surveillance carried out jointly by the Prasarana Police Assistance Unit and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) from the Selangor Contingent Police Headquarters.
The operation followed a police report lodged by Prasarana regarding a cable theft incident near Sri Damansara Barat Station on March 3.
The theft reportedly disrupted MRT Putrajaya Line services for three days, causing major inconvenience to thousands of commuters who rely on the rail network for their daily travel. – March 16, 2026