SHAH ALAM, Aug 7 — Cases of vandalism and cable theft involving pump houses and street lights in Selangor have risen sharply since last year, disrupting the state's flood mitigation operations.
State infrastructure and agriculture exco Dato' Izham Hashim said syndicates are believed to be targeting valuable cables and components at pump houses before selling them as recyclable materials, causing extensive damage to public infrastructure.
He said the thefts not only damage equipment but also disrupt the operation of pump houses, which play a critical role during floods.
"Cable theft and the stealing of valuable components, particularly from pump houses and street lights, are becoming more frequent. Syndicates break into pump houses and steal cables and other components, causing damage to both the facilities and the pumps.
"When we need to operate the pumps, we face problems because they have damaged the equipment during the theft.
"There have been such cases before, but not as severe as they are now. Since last year, we have seen a significant increase, with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) receiving more reports of pump houses being broken into and vandalised," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting.
Izham said most pump houses are located in remote areas near flood-prone locations, including Sungai Buloh and Kuala Langat, making them difficult to monitor and secure.
"Repairing just one pump house can cost between RM300,000 and RM400,000. That is a major concern for us.
"Although various security measures, including locks and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, have been installed, incidents of vandalism are still occurring," he said.
Earlier, Izham told the State Legislative Assembly that Selangor had recorded losses of up to RM400,000 due to the growing number of vandalism and component theft cases involving pump house systems in several parts of the state.
He said the state government had since held discussions with the Selangor police chief to strengthen enforcement and security measures at affected pump houses.
