KOTA KINABALU:
The next time your Internet access is suddenly disrupted, cable theft could very well be the cause. In view of this, Telekom Malaysia has asked for public cooperation in overcoming rampant cable thefts problem in Sabah so that they can provide a better service. TM Sabah General Manager Sukkuriya Masri said the company faces the problem in every state in Malaysia, especially Sabah. “The thieves usually steal cables and batteries from the TM cabinet and sell them to dealers for money,” he said. “This problem has caused TM and our customers to suffer, as it disrupts our daily activities, especially those involving online services,” he added during the TM press conference on Vandalism and Cable Theft Issues in Sabah at Wawasan Plaza yesterday. Meanwhile, Assistant General Manager of TM Sabah, Musa Awang Kechil said that from July to December last year, Papar had the most cable theft cases, followed by I.ahad Datu and Menggatal. In Sabah alone, a total of 1,048 cases were recorded from 2005 until 2007 and the government-linked company suffers more than RM5 million losses caused by the thefts. “We already carried out some action plans to overcome this problem such as giving rewards to public who provided information about the theft. “Also, we offered to install a home cable theft detector at the customers’ houses at theft-prone areas for free.. .however, the cable theft problem is still not fully overcome,” Musa said. He also said that the manhole covers for underground cables are also to prevent people from falling into the holes and would expose the public to danger if stolen. Therefore, Musa asked the public to immediately report to TM or the Rakan Cop if they notice any curious activities or damaged TM cabinet.
The public can call TM Sabah Operation Control Center (PKO) at 088-299817, 999 Complaints Center, TM Sabah PR/A&P Office or the Rakan Cop.
