By Ling Hui
KUCHING, May 9: Kalaka assemblyman Mohamad Duri is urging the Sarawak government to abolish licenses for scrap metal dealers as one of the measures to tackle cable thefts.
He said, according to Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, the number of vandalism cases including thefts of electrical cables, fibre cables and batteries in telecommunication towers has increased to 27 cases as of March this year, compared to only 18 cases for the same period last year.
“I believe the issue of vandalism can be associated with shops collecting scrap metal. If there is no demand from the scrap metal dealers, thieves will not steal copper and aluminium.
“The question is, should the government take action by closing down these scrap metal shops? If they are closed down, copper and aluminium items cannot be recycled,” said Mohamad Duri when debating the TYT’s address at the august House here today.
He also recommended the enforcement to take strict actions against unlicensed scrap metal buyers and impose heavier fines on offenders stealing cables. — DayakDaily
