KUALA LUMPUR — The federal government will set up a new multi-agency committee to study long-term measures to curb electricity theft linked to Bitcoin mining, including the possibility of banning the activity, Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir told Parliament today.
He said the committee’s first meeting is expected to take place at the end of the year and will involve multiple ministries and enforcement bodies to address the issue holistically.
“God willing, I will chair the committee’s first meeting at the end of this year. Following its discussions, if there is a need to formulate a policy, whether to prohibit Bitcoin activities or otherwise, or to improve Act 447.
“These will be refined and subsequently submitted for the Cabinet’s consideration,” he said when winding up his ministry’s committee-level debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat.
The committee will include representatives from the Finance Ministry, the Digital Ministry, the Home Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Inland Revenue Board, the police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, CyberSecurity Malaysia, the Energy Commission, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and other relevant agencies.
Akmal said there is currently no specific legislation regulating Bitcoin mining activities.
“The ministry regulates the misuse of electricity used for Bitcoin mining under Section 37(3) of the Electricity Supply Act, Act 447,” he said.
“Under this provision, anyone who dishonestly consumes electricity in any manner may be convicted under Section 37(3) of Act 447.
“Domestic users may be fined not less than RM1,000 and not more than RM50,000, or imprisoned for up to one year, or both,” he added.
For non-domestic users, Akmal said the fine is not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM1,000,000, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Earlier, the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry said more than 13,800 premises nationwide were found using electricity illegally for cryptocurrency mining since 2020, causing losses of RM4.57 billion to TNB.
In a written parliamentary reply, it said 13,827 premises were uncovered between 2020 and August 2025 for illegally using power to mine bitcoin.
According to Bank Negara Malaysia, Bitcoin is not recognised as legal tender in Malaysia and the central bank does not regulate Bitcoin operations.
