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After years of legal battles, a landlord has been forced to shoulder a massive electricity penalty.
Due to his tenant’s electricity theft, he ultimately faces an astronomical bill of RM825,000, which leaves him mentally and physically exhausted.
The landlord, Jason, shared his ordeal through a Facebook page.
He revealed that his nightmare began in July 2020 when he rented his property to a tenant who claimed to run a computer business, only to discover later that the tenant was a complete fraudster.
Shocking Discovery Of Power Theft
In December of the same year, Jason was shocked to discover that his tenant had illegally connected large power cables, causing a power outage in the entire building.
To his horror, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) issued him a staggering RM1.7 million penalty bill.
“I was completely lost, my legs went weak, and I was in total shock,” Jason recounted.
When Jason attempted to contact the tenant, he discovered that the person had disappeared and had used fake identification documents.
In response, he immediately filed a police report and submitted relevant documents to TNB as required.
Legal Battle And Mounting Costs
Following legal consultation, Jason was advised to wait for TNB’s lawyer’s letter rather than paying the penalty immediately.
After a two-year wait, TNB began processing the case in 2022 and reduced the penalty from RM1.7 million to RM825,000 – still an overwhelming amount.
The case underwent lengthy court proceedings from 2022 to 2024, with Jason losing the legal battle. He now has to pay:
The penalty amount continues to accrue 5% interest
RM25,000 for TNB’s legal fees
RM11,000 for his first lawyer’s collection fees
Jason expressed his frustration at the situation, questioning the fairness of a system that holds landlords accountable for their tenants’ illegal activities.
This has pushed me to the edge! I can’t accept losing my life savings like this, so I’ve decided to appeal and seek another lawyer for any chance of overturning the decision.
Victims Of Bitcoin Mining Fraud Mount
Landlords like Jason face challenges as some tenants have fraudulently opened TNB accounts in their names, leading to massive debts from illegal Bitcoin mining activities.
In a massive cryptocurrency mining fraud scheme, 45 property owners and business operators collectively lost RM8.5 million in electricity charges after tenants stole their identities to conduct illegal Bitcoin mining operations.
The victims only discovered the fraud upon receiving hefty bills from TNB.
Among the victims are KC Teo, a wheelchair-bound landlord facing a RM300,000 bill; Ganeson, who had to pay RM70,000; Tom, whose company was fraudulently used to register 10 TNB accounts accumulating RM700,000 in bills; and Loo, whose identity was stolen to rent a shop lot that amassed RM196,000 in electricity charges.
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung has called for TNB to establish a dedicated task force to investigate Bitcoin mining activities and plans to propose amendments to the Electricity Supply Act 1990 in Parliament.
