The Malaysian government will be installing 1,146 artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance cameras across the national railway network by the fourth quarter of this year to curb cable theft, which has disrupted train services and endangered commuters.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said 247 AI cameras had already been installed, while the remainder were being deployed at stations, feeder stations and Midpoint Track Section Locations (MPTSL). He said the RM14 million project aims to strengthen surveillance at high-risk areas and enable faster detection of suspicious activity.
“The total cost for installing the 1,146 AI cameras is RM14 million. We hope to complete the installation by the fourth quarter of this year,” he told the Dewan Rakyat. He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu) on the progress of technology-based monitoring measures announced by the Transport Ministry.
Hasbi said the AI cameras would complement other security measures, including drones and the procurement of 20 scrambler motorcycles for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) auxiliary police to enhance patrols and response times to cable theft incidents.
He said the government viewed the rising number of railway cable theft cases seriously, describing them as sabotage against rail infrastructure that jeopardised passenger safety, disrupted operations and undermined public confidence in public transport.
A total of 393 cable theft cases were recorded over the past three years, involving about 19,756m of railway cables and estimated losses of RM16.3 million. Of these, 188 cases involving 8,179m of cables were recorded in 2024, followed by 141 cases involving 9,699m in 2025. As of June this year, another 64 cases involving 1,878m had been reported.
Hasbi added that between January and May 2025 alone, 45 cases were reported in the northern sector.
He said the government was also reviewing existing laws to impose heavier penalties for railway trespass, vandalism and cable theft, while strengthening cooperation with police and scrap metal dealers to disrupt the market for stolen railway assets.
