At a press conference, Saifuddin said the problem has reached a serious scale and required joint responsibility from both rail operators and enforcement agencies.
He said operators of railways such as Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) and the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) had been called in for discussions on the issue.
The meeting, which was also attended by transport minister Loke Siew Fook, reached three key conclusions, one of which was for Malaysia to study security models used by rail operators in developed countries such as Germany and China.
He said experience from countries with well-established rail systems showed that operators invested heavily in security technology to prevent theft.
“In China, cable theft carries the death penalty because it can lead to accidents that may cause loss of life. We are not at that stage.
“While the police remain responsible for security in transport areas, we agreed that rail operators themselves must be prepared to make high investments to ensure safety,” he said.
Saifuddin pointed out that there were two types of cables used by railways but only one was sought after by thieves – signal cables, which could fetch over RM30 per kg.
He said it was also decided that the home ministry would keep an eye on licensed scrap metal and disposal facilities and revoke their licences if they were found to have purchased stolen cables.
“I have instructed home ministry officials, specifically the division that manages the licensing of scrap disposal factories and metal dealers, to review all licence holders.
“If they are involved in buying stolen cables, we will immediately take action, including cancelling their licences without hesitation,” he said.
In addition, Putrajaya will review existing legal provisions to determine whether they are sufficient to tackle cable thefts.
“We agreed that there is a need to examine the relevant laws and sections and to consider amending them to create a stronger deterrent.”
Last year, the transport ministry said cable thefts along KTMB rail lines caused more than 1,300 hours of train delays between January and August 2025.
Cable theft along rail tracks caused losses amounting to RM20.6 million to public transport operator Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, while similar cases along the ECRL project inflicted RM2.9 million in losses and affected its completion.