KUALA LUMPUR: The government has suffered losses amounting to RM3.481 million due to theft and vandalism cases involving telecommunication towers in Sarawak this year.
Federal Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said as of the second quarter of this year, a total of 33 theft cases and 334 vandalism cases involving telecommunication towers had been recorded in the region.
“In 2024, Sarawak recorded three theft cases and 1,116 vandalism cases, with estimated losses amounting to RM9.315 million,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat, as reported by TVS.
Teo was responding to a question from Mordi Bimol (Pakatan Harapan–Mas Gading) regarding statistics on theft and vandalism cases involving telecommunication towers in Sarawak since 2024.
For the Mas Gading area, she said there were four theft cases and 10 vandalism cases, with estimated losses amounting to RM74,341.
However, she said losses from such activities nationwide have shown a decline.
“In 2024, losses related to theft and vandalism cases amounted to RM49.1 million, but for this year up to June, it is RM30 million,” she added.
Meanwhile, Teo explained that the process of repairing telecommunication towers takes time due to the distance and location of maintenance teams.
“It may take a longer time, especially in remote areas. Typically, service disruptions can last between four to eight hours,” she said.
