Kota Kinabalu: BIMP-EAGA Business Council Sabah (BEBC-Sabah) Chairman Dr Raymond Alfred said the persistent theft of critical infrastructure assets has emerged as a severe and recurring crisis in Sabah.
The stolen items, he said, include electrical cables, telecommunication lines, solar equipment and other key components, with rural villages and semi-urban communities bearing the brunt of the problem.
Raymond said these criminal acts triggered frequent power outages, disrupted communication networks, created significant public safety hazards and inflicted substantial financial losses on the State Government, utility providers and local residents.
In many affected areas, repeated disruptions have hampered daily life, disrupted small businesses and even impacted access to essential services like healthcare and education.
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