SANDAKAN: An undocumented Indonesian man was fined a total of RM635,000 by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to four charges involving the illegal supply, connection and use of electricity under the Electricity Supply Enactment 2024.
Asis Cengkeru, who did not possess any identification documents or a passport, pleaded guilty before Judge Roslinda Razali to all four charges.
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The court imposed fines of RM300,000 for an offence under Section 8(1)(b), RM300,000 under Section 61(1), RM5,000 under Section 61(3)(a) and RM30,000 under Section 61(8) of the Enactment.
He was ordered to serve eight months’ imprisonment in default of payment for each charge.
The court further ordered that Asis be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation after paying the fine or upon completion of his prison sentence.
He failed to pay the fines.
The court heard that the offences were uncovered during a joint enforcement operation led by the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS), with the assistance of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), the Royal Malaysia Police, the Immigration Department, the Lands and Surveys Department and the Sabah Water Department at a squatter settlement in Kampung Pengiran Galpam, Batu 7, Jalan Labuk, on April 22 this year.
Investigations revealed that Asis had dishonestly abstracted electricity by connecting cables directly to SESB’s underground power lines without a valid electricity meter.
He was also found to have excavated the ground and damaged SESB’s low-voltage underground cables to facilitate the illegal connection using unsafe methods that posed serious risks of electric shock, fire and danger to the public.
Further investigations established that Asis had been illegally supplying electricity to approximately 52 other houses in the squatter settlement, charging each household between RM50 and RM100 a month for personal gain.
During the operation, Asis escaped through a concealed hatch beneath the floor of his house. However, he was arrested by police at Bandar Megah, Batu 7, on June 29.
Among the items seized were two rolls of illegal connection cables measuring 40 metres and 168 metres respectively, together with several tools believed to have been used to facilitate the illegal electricity connections.
The prosecution was conducted by ECoS Prosecuting Officer Andryeno Thomas.
