KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) officials have seized some 500kg of electric cables in an operation against illegal power connections in two squatter villages in Lahad Datu district.

       The operation, conducted on Monday (Feb 28), was carried out together with the police, Water Department and Civil Service Department at Kg Puyut and Kg Sri Aman.

       SESB senior general manager for asset management Idris Mohd Noor said the operation was part of the utility company's ongoing crackdown against illegal electricity connections in Sabah.

       He said the crackdown is to prevent losses, as a safety precaution for users as fires could occur because of illegal connections, and to send a signal that SESB was serious about curbing this crime.

       “Power theft is a crime,” he stressed, adding that it costs the company about RM800,000 every month in Lahad Datu.

       Idris said one way of reducing power theft is a prepaid card system for eligible squatters in the state.

       However, the terms of implementation and eligibility have yet to be finalised.