IPOH: Revising the Electricity Supply Act to establish shared accountability for electricity usage among homeowners and tenants could address the problem of illegal cryptocurrency mining, says Criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

He said creating a centralised rental database and installing smart meters at properties could also address the problem.

“Tenants will have to think twice before engaging in illegal activities that cause excessive power consumption, and property owners will be more vigilant,” he said.

Dr Sundramoorthy added that a central rental database could flag tenants who frequently rack up high utility bills or engage in suspicious behaviour, such as tampering with power meters, for further scrutiny.

He also said TNB and law enforcement must monitor those with unusually high energy consumption.

“With the help of smart meters and advanced monitoring systems, authorities can quickly identify suspicious electricity usage and investigate potential illegal mining activities,” he said.

“Perpetrators should face substantial fines that reflect the cost of stolen electricity, infrastructure damage, and administrative expenses,” he said, adding that imprisonment must be considered as well.

Dr Sundramoorthy added that structured repayment plans would ease the financial burden on landlords who were left with unexpectedly high electricity bills.

In a press conference on Jan 22, Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing said more than 60 homeowners and shop lot owners have had to pay Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) bills worth millions of ringgit due to illegal electricity connections by tenants engaged in cryptocurrency mining activities.

He noted that the total claims range from RM30,000 to RM1.2mil.

TNB, in a statement issued the next day (Jan 23), said the utility company hoped to engage with the affected property owners who are required to pay the hefty bills.

This article first appeared on The Star.