LAHAD DATU: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) incurred some RM1 million in losses from illegal tapping in just one village here.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, joined an SESB team to survey the squatter area and found that illegal connections in Kampung Puyut were made openly.
"This is a very serious matter, and therefore, I immediately went to the Lahad Datu police station to lodge a report," he said in a statement.
Madius estimated that around 1,000 houses in Kampung Puyut were involved in tapping electricity.
He urged the police to investigate the parties responsible for these illegal connections.
Madius, who is also Tuaran member of parliament, questioned whether the taps were installed by the squatters themselves or orchestrated by syndicates or cartels.
He said such illegal connections could lead to electrical shocks and threaten the lives of the public, including the residents of Kampung Puyut.
He called for a thorough investigation into the total losses SESB has incurred due to electricity theft and illegal connections to prevent any future incidents.