Minister calls for stricter vandalism laws

BY NURA V LORNA & ALEXANDRA LORNA

KUCHING: Datuk Julaihi Narawi, the Minister for Utility and Telecommunications, has called for stricter laws and more severe penalties to tackle vandalism.

He emphasized that Sarawak has suffered losses totalling RM816,000 this year due to theft and vandalism of utility cables, including telecommunications and electricity cables.

Last year, there were 1,406 cases of vandalism, resulting in RM20 million in damages to utility facilities.

“There should be stringent penalties to prevent future acts of vandalism.
“The regulations governing the sale and purchase of scrap metal and used metals should also be enforced, requiring verification of the items from legitimate sources,” he stated.

He made these remarks during the Vandalism Prevention Against Utility and Telecommunication Facilities Campaign ceremony at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.

The Sebuyau assemblyman also announced the establishment of the Anti-Vandalism Steering and Working Committees at the state level, which he chairs.

The committees comprise the State Attorney General, the Sarawak State Security and Enforcement Unit (UPKNS), the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD), the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Sarawak (MPHLG), the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and other relevant agencies.

“The objective of these committees is to plan strategies and programs, such as enforcement and awareness initiatives, to curb and reduce vandalism.

“We will implement more programs to raise awareness and foster a culture of responsibility and care for utility and telecommunications assets,” he added.

Therefore, he emphasized that cooperation between relevant agencies and the community is crucial in curbing the issue of vandalism, which has resulted in significant losses.

He stressed that this threat should not be taken lightly, as it can inconvenience the public and be costly for the government. It also poses safety risks to the perpetrators, such as the risk of electric shock.

Julaihi asserted that the issue of vandalism has caused the government to incur substantial costs, particularly in replacing damaged equipment.
“Moreover, the repair and replacement of these assets also take a long time and cause service disruptions to users.

“What’s even more disheartening is that there are newly completed streetlights and telecommunications towers ready to operate, but unfortunately, the equipment has been damaged and stolen,” he lamented.