TNB Says Someone Stole Electricity at My Property, what should I do now? A Malaysian Landlord’s Guide (Part 2)

In Part 1, we covered what a meter tampering claim actually is, why landlords often end up liable for a tenant’s actions, and most importantly, why you shouldn’t assume TNB’s figure is final.

Now let’s talk about what to actually do.

Proof that the number presented by TNB can be wrong

This isn’t theoretical. In a reported case, TNB v DSP (M) Sdn Bhd [2026] MLJU 891, TNB brought a claim of RM383,707.05 against a company over alleged meter installation tampering (spoiler alert: TNB lost). The court found the evidence supporting TNB’s case, including how the loss was calculated, fell short: weaknesses in the technical evidence undermined both the claim that tampering had occurred and the claimed loss figure itself.

This isn’t the only such case.

TNB has lost other large claims on similar grounds where the evidence that did not hold up, or a calculation method that didn’t survive scrutiny.

Here’s the lesson: TNB’s number is a claim to be tested, not a bill to be paid.

What you should do

1. Get a lawyer, and ask for the full evidence and calculation breakdown.
This sounds obvious, but it’s the step most people missed, usually because they assume TNB won’t hand it over anyway, or that asking will make things worse.

In practice, TNB is often unwilling to hand over the underlying detail to an unrepresented layperson, but will engage properly once a lawyer or a representative formally requests it: the inspection report, photographs, test and calibration records, the meter/event log, and critically, the exact method used to calculate the claimed loss and the period it covers.

2. Have the lawyer assess whether the fine is actually adequate (and challenge it where it isn’t)
Every part of TNB’s figure can be questioned:

• Is the assumed loss period justified, or arbitrary?
• Was the meter actually tampered with, or just faulty?
• Does the calculation method reflect your actual historical usage, or does it just happen to produce a higher number?

These are exactly the kinds of weaknesses that have sunk TNB’s claims in reported cases.

3. Best case scenario: your lawyer negotiates directly with TNB.
A lawyer who knows how to engage TNB properly and has some standing rapport with them, can often resolve the matter faster, and more amicably, than either paying in full or fighting it out in court.

You don’t just want the claim to go away, you want TNB to walk away without a bitter taste, so they don’t come back to scrutinise you again down the line.

Handling it yourself carries a real risk here too. In the process of arguing your case directly with TNB, explaining what happened, trying to clarify the tenant situation, trying to sound cooperative – it’s very easy to say something that sounds like an admission.

If the matter later ends up in court, that conversation can come back to bite you. A lawyer manages that risk on your behalf from the very first exchange.

Protecting yourself going forward

If you’re a landlord, the cheapest fix is always the one you do before there’s a problem:

• Change of Tenancy (COT): transfer the TNB account into your tenant’s name before or at the start of the tenancy and request for the registration confirmation
• Tenancy agreement clauses: explicitly prohibit tampering, make the tenant liable for all electricity charges, and include an indemnity clause
• Meter readings at handover: record and photograph the reading, dated and ideally acknowledged by both parties
• Watch for red flags: unusually high power draw, server racks, “computer storage” as a vague business description, especially for units rented out with little oversight; if you need to inspect the property to clear your suspicion on the nature of business undertaken by the tenant, feel free to exercise your rights as the landlord.

When to bring in a lawyer

If TNB has already issued a notice or letter, if a summons or writ has been filed, or if the sum involved is significant, that’s the point to stop handling it yourself. The earlier a lawyer is involved, the more room there is to challenge the calculation before you’ve said or signed anything that limits your options later.