Perak: More than 60 home and shoplot owners in Perak are facing electricity payment claims from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) after their properties were used by tenants for illegal bitcoin mining involving unauthorised wiring.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Gopeng Member of Parliament Tan Kar Hing reported that his service centre received over 30 complaints regarding such cases within his parliamentary constituency. Further investigations uncovered an additional 30 cases in other districts, which were also reported to representatives’ service centres.
These claims range from RM30,000 to RM1.2 million per premises and are imposed on property owners through lawyers appointed by TNB, along with the initiation of legal action in court. Tan emphasized the urgent need for stakeholders to address this issue, particularly concerning the plight of property owners who are unable to pay such substantial claims.
“There needs to be an amendment to the Electricity Supply Act 1990 to ensure shared responsibility between property owners and tenants in electricity usage, instead of blaming one party alone,” Tan stated during a press conference. He also proposed the enforcement of an e-KYC (Know Your Customer Through Digital Platforms) process at TNB and the Inland Revenue Board to prevent identity misuse and establish a centralized database to record or monitor tenant behavior.
Tan urged TNB to offer structured repayment plans to the affected victims to alleviate their financial burden. He described the situation as a case of injustice, highlighting that property owners were unaware of the illegal activities yet are held liable for heavy claims when the matter is reported.
“This issue will be raised at the upcoming Parliament sitting in February to push for amendments, enforcement, and upgrades so that building owners are not unfairly penalised in such situations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Yen Pit Yun, a 43-year-old salon owner, recounted her experience of renting out the upper floor of her shoplot in Panorama Lapangan Perdana to a tenant for RM700 a month from July to August last year. She noted that on August 30, the tenant brought in a large quantity of thick wires, which prompted her to file a police report. During the police operation, the tenant fled and could not be contacted.
“Despite this, I am still being sued for the damages caused by the tenant and the losses incurred by TNB, with a claim amounting to RM1.2 million. I am at a loss,” she said.