A Malaysian landlord is facing financial ruin after being held responsible for his tenant’s electricity theft, leaving him with an RM825,000 bill from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
Tenant’s fraud leads to shocking penalty
According to AEC, the landlord, Jason, rented out his property in July 2020 to a tenant who claimed to run a computer business. However, he later discovered that the tenant was a fraudster using fake identification.
In December 2020, Jason was shocked to find that the tenant had illegally connected large power cables, causing a power outage in the entire building.
Shortly after, TNB issued him a massive RM1.7 million penalty for electricity theft.
Read also:
Attempts to contact the tenant failed as he had disappeared, prompting Jason to file a police report and submit the necessary documents to TNB.
Legal battle and rising costs
After seeking legal advice, Jason was told to wait for TNB’s legal notice instead of paying immediately.
In 2022, TNB reviewed the case and reduced the penalty to RM825,000.
They just slashed it by half! What does this mean? Was the original RM1.7 million fine simply random? Even though the amount was reduced, RM825,000 is still an astronomical figure!” he wrote.
However, after a lengthy court battle from 2022 to 2024, Jason lost the case and now has to pay:
- The RM825,000 penalty, which continues to accumulate 5% interest
- RM25,000 for TNB’s legal fees
- RM11,000 for his lawyer’s collection fees
“I was stunned. I thought lawyers charge upfront before taking a case. Why am I now being told I still owe money?”
Frustrated by the outcome, Jason questioned the system’s fairness that holds landlords accountable for their tenants’ illegal activities.
“I gave it my all, but in the end, I still lost. After fighting for two years, this is the outcome I got…,” he added.
MP calls for action against illegal Bitcoin mining
A total of 46 individuals from Klang Valley, Johor, and Seremban have sought help from Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung after Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) issued compensation claims exceeding RM8.5 million against them.
The victims fall into two categories:
- Identity misuse – Their names were fraudulently registered as electricity account holders without their knowledge.
- Landlords affected by illegal Bitcoin mining – Their rented properties were secretly used for cryptocurrency operations, leading to exorbitant electricity bills.
MP urges action and policy changes
Lee criticized TNB for failing to investigate thoroughly before demanding payments, calling it unfair to innocent victims. He warned that TNB’s weak system not only harms consumers but also poses risks to national electricity supply.
To address the issue, he proposed:
- Amending the Electricity Supply Act 1990 to define landlord-tenant responsibilities.
- TNB forming a task force to investigate system weaknesses.
- Canceling or reducing unjustified compensation claims.
- Implementing stricter identity verification (KYC) to prevent fraud.
Lee plans to raise the matter in Parliament this February and urges more victims to come forward to seek justice.
He also plans to propose amendments to the Electricity Supply Act 1990 in Parliament to protect landlords from similar cases in the future.
