Malaysia is a pro tenant nation.  If tenant choose to default, landlord will surely at the losing end. Laws are to protect the tenant and f the landlord. Thus doing some due diligent before agree to rent out is a must nowadays.

- ask the tenant to list out all the occupant name and ic
- do a ctos check on all of them. Below certain mark, then better be careful

Normally this is what I'm going to do:

1) Forward the TNB's invoice to the tenant as the soft reminder.

2) Unpaid second month, forward subsequent month invoice with reminder + formal letter from owner notifying breach of TA condition for not paying the utilities billing. This is the beginning step to build up the case against the tenant.

3) I'll forward an of TNB message notifying that there will be electricity cut by what date. Any disconnection & reconnection fees to be by borne by tenant - they will usually freak out on this. Usually after this message is out, within 1 or 2 days, the bill will be cleared. *

* you pandai-pandai la buat TNB mesaj if you don't have that standard reply from TNB.

I don't see any extreme move by doing it. If the TNB's power cutting notification SMS is genuine one, as the landlord, your are in the opinion that the owner should just keep quiet & let the TNB to proceed to cut the power & let the tenant suffer the damages on the spoiled goods in their refrigerator? I'm more inclined to inform.

If the tenant are repeating same behavior after that even though landlord didn't receive the TNB notification, I'll extend the fabricated TNB's message ( change the AC number , date, address , etc) to discipline their utility payment behavior. The fabricated SMS didn't inflict ay cost or damages but gives the desire outcome.