Cable thieves in Malaysia derail train speeds and schedules

Rail operator taking active measures to stop theft of valuable copper wires on track

- Lu Wei Hoong

ALOR SETAR, Kedah — Administrative clerk Shakira Banu Abdul Hamid relies on electrified commuter service Komuter Utara to travel daily from her home in Malaysia's Alor Setar in Kedah to her workplace in Sungai Petani some 60km away.

But despite getting to the station on time for her usual 30-minute morning commute, she ended up two hours late for work earlier in 2025.

An announcement over the station speaker blared repeatedly that "a cable was stolen, causing the train to be delayed by 90 minutes", the 39-year-old told The Straits Times in August.

Such cases of cable theft, mainly targeting valuable copper wires inside the signalling and power cables on the track, have become increasingly common for the rail service in the northern sector (Komuter Utara) and the express Electric Train Service (ETS) across the country.

Both lines are run by Malaysia's national rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). In 2024, there were around 15 cases of cable theft nationwide every month, and 16 cases monthly for January to July 2025, according to KTM. This works out to an average of nearly four cable thefts a week.

These incidents are a "pain in the neck", said then KTM chief executive officer Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin, noting that at least a day is needed to inspect, repair and re-install the stolen cables.