KUCHING: A salon in Mukah was caught stealing electricity twice within one month.
It was placed on the list for close monitoring after the first tampering was detected in September.
Another meter inspection operation was triggered this month after analyzing the metering data and detection of several tampering alarms.
Immediately, Sesco carried out a meter inspection operation on the hair salon at Mukah New Township commercial centre along Jalan Orang Kaya Setia Raja.
During the inspection, the Sesco team found that an illegal wire was used to bypass the meter and hidden inside the wall resulting in certain electricity usage not being registered.
The salon operator would therefore pay less in the monthly energy bill.
The team also found that the illegal connection was shoddily done, which could cause unstable voltage to the salon and damage salon equipment in the long run if not detected.
Sesco noted that there were many cases like this detected in the state, whereby all evidence in tampering were seized and police reports lodged.
Pending an interview to assist in investigation, a preliminary finding revealed that the salon owner had information about the person who designed the tampering.
In the three-day meter inspection in Mukah, five meter inspection teams from Sibu were involved, focusing on high risk and highly suspected customers.
Out of the 83 meters inspected, 40 per cent of the meters were found to have been tampered with.
This shows that power theft in Mukah is still rampant.
A Sesco spokesman said they will also focus operations in rural areas in the state, as a recent operation shows that the percentage of meter tampering is high in rural areas.
Sesco will continue to work closely with police and Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) under the Ministry of Public Utilities to fight power theft in the state, he said.
The penalty for stealing electricity under the Electricity Ordinance Section 33(5) is 5 years’ imprisonment or a fine of RM 100,000 or both.
The public can continue to report on power theft information via Sesco hotline 082-44-35-35.