The Kuala Lumppur High Court today ordered a housewife to pay more than RM160,000 to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd

(Syabas) for use of its water for 453 days by means of a pipe illegally connected to a dismantled fire hydrant.

Judicial Commissioner Mary Lim Thiam Suan found Liew Lai Yin, 36, guilty of using Syabas's treated water without its consent or authorisation and ordered her to pay RM163,862.78 in losses for the illegal use of the water and loss of the fire hydrant as well as RM5,000 in costs.

"The removal of the fire hydrant and replacing it with the four-inch pipe which was connected to the defendant's (Liew's) premises for the purpose of drawing water the plaintiff (Syabas) had not agreed to supply is clear evidence of the wrongdoing," she said.

Syabas filed a suit in 2006 against Liew when it discovered that she had connected a water pipe illegally to her premises in Kampung Baru, Salak Selatan, in Kuala Lumpur after Syabas had terminated water supply to her premises on April 21, 2004.

An investigation by Syabas on July 28, 2005, found that a fire hydrant had been removed and a four-inch pipe had been used to draw water to the defendant's premises.

Liew, in her defence, said she was not residing at the premises at the time of the incident and was not aware of what happened to her property.

"The defendant has not led any evidence to show that someone else may have done the acts alleged of and that she played no part in the wrong," Justice Lim said.

Syabas was represented by counsel Habizan Rahman while Peter Siew acted for Liew.  

- Bernama