The most-watched Malaysian crypto story of the year is a steamroller.
Police in Miri, Sarawak, working with Sarawak Energy, have crushed 1,069 confiscated bitcoin mining rigs worth about RM5.3 million in the police headquarters car park, following a court forfeiture order. The video — first posted by local outlet Dayak Daily — went globally viral within days, picked up by CNBC, NBC and the international tech press.
Behind the spectacle
The rigs were seized in six joint raids between February and April targeting miners who tapped power lines directly, stealing an estimated RM8.4 million worth of electricity. The theft was blamed for three house fires. Eight people were arrested; six were charged, receiving up to eight months' jail and fines of around RM8,000 each.
The association's view
The optics are unforgettable, but the lesson is the same one we keep repeating: mining is legal in Malaysia; stealing electricity is not. Tampering with supply lines is an offence under the Electricity Supply Act — and it burns down houses. There is a legitimate path for mining operations in this country, through proper commercial power supply. The industry's credibility depends on operators taking it.