Malaysian political caucus to address illegal online gambling

Malaysia’s deputy prime minister and federal Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters Monday that a parliamentary caucus to address illegal gambling will be established soon.

Hamidi said he would table a proposal to set up a parliamentary caucus to deal with illegal gambling during the next cabinet meeting on Friday, and hinted that it would include heavier penalties for illegal online gambling operators, who are proving persistent and hard to stamp out despite energetic police raiding across the nation (see previous reports).

The Attorney-General’s Chambers are currently looking at amending Malaysian laws on gambling, which are perceived as inadequate and outdated, with a lack of focus on modern realities such as internet gambling.

Hamidi also revealed that he is to chair a national committee meeting soon which will review illegal gambling issues so that laws with weaknesses in the legal, enforcement or procedural elements can considered.

“The police, together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and other agencies such as local councils responsible for issuing business licenses and permits, are continuously monitoring and taking enforcement action on illegal gambling,” Hamidi told local reporters.

“The illegal gambling outlets have also came up with different modus operandi, including abusing entertainment licenses by modifying their equipment and devices for online gambling. Most of these outlets have CCTVs (closed-circuit television camera) and have ‘tonto’ or informants who monitor the movement of our enforcement officers,” he said, urging members of parliament to inform him on alleged misconduct by policemen on illegal gambling outlets.”

The Home Ministry has already taken steps to train more anti-gambling experts in the national police force to create better monitoring and identification of the illegal activity.

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