Set up unit to review cases before going to court, Energy Commission told

Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah said efforts to combat electricity theft must be carried out based on evidence. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A government backbencher has proposed that the Energy Commission establish an independent consumer review unit to vet complaints of electricity theft and meter tampering before Tenaga Nasional Bhd takes legal action.

Jimmy Puah (PH-Tebrau) said such a unit would ensure that only verified cases are brought to court, reducing the risk of innocent victims being targeted.

Puah was referring to an FMT report on Oct 28 that the Klang sessions court had dismissed TNB’s second suit against a factory worker accused of meter tampering.

The court awarded Eazrie Hafizie Aris RM30,000 for the suffering caused by the legal proceedings.

TNB had sued Eazrie for RM197,131 over alleged meter tampering in 2021, but he denied liability and brought a counterclaim against the utility company for negligently accusing him of meter tampering.

Puah said he fully supports efforts to combat electricity theft, but stressed that it must be done with principle, based on evidence, and differentiating between actual perpetrators, victims of identity theft, and innocent property owners.

“This is not an extraordinary case. Many owners of vacant premises have received summonses claiming that electricity theft is happening on their premises, and they were unaware of it.

“But the question is, how can an outsider simply set up a TNB account with just an identity card? Who is responsible for taking care of the meter and main switch box of the premises?

“That answer still goes back to TNB,” he said when debating the Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 at the committee level for the energy transition and water transformation ministry.

Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) urged the Energy Commission and the ministry to take note of cases where TNB allegedly tampered with electricity meters without homeowners present.

He said such cases should not happen and are unfair to the homeowners.

Citing a case, he said: “When a TNB or Energy Commission representative arrived, he unplugged the meter and changed it without supervision of the homeowner.

“Afterwards, the representative took it back and claimed that the meter had been tampered with. This is a one-sided claim, and the homeowner should be given the chance to negotiate.”