KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 21 -- Cable theft along railway lines has caused 1,300 hours of cumulative delays across Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad's (KTMB) rail services so far this year, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.

The thefts have repeatedly disrupted KTMB's crucial signalling system, leading to significant time losses for passengers on both its intercity and commuter networks.

In a written parliamentary reply, Loke detailed the impact of the 104 cable theft incidents recorded nationwide between January and August.

The KTM Komuter network was the worst hit, logging 741 hours of delays, while the Electric Train Service (ETS) experienced 562 hours of disruption.

By location, Perak and Selangor were the primary hotspots, recor...