Police urged to take firm action on cable thefts at ECRL site

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said he had contacted Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ask the PDRM to take stricter action. He said the cable theft case cannot be considered an ordinary theft case because it affects public order and national security.

PUTRAJAYA (June 23): The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) needs to take stricter action over cable thefts at the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project site because they could affect the project's planning.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook (pictured) said he had contacted Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ask the PDRM to take stricter action.

He said the cable theft case cannot be considered an ordinary theft case because it affects public order and national security.

“I have asked the police to take action, not only under the offence of theft.

“So, stricter action under stricter laws needs to be taken but I leave it to the police and the police’s discretion to take action, but we cannot consider this as ordinary theft,” he said in a press conference here on Monday.

Meanwhile, Loke said Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) would implement mitigation and security measures at all ECRL sites to curb cable theft cases.

MRL on Monday expressed concern following the cable theft case, which could affect the planning and train operation schedule of the ECRL project, which is currently at a crucial phase ahead of completion in December 2026.

MRL chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said several incidents of cable theft were detected at certain locations along the ECRL line, across Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor.

The 665-kilometre ECRL project is the largest infrastructure project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia, and is expected to improve transport networks and stimulate economic development on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

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