Draft submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers

Malaysia moves to fight illegal online gambling

The Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 will be amended to combat online gambling, said Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
2017-02-15
Reading time 54 seg
The Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 will be amended to combat online gambling, said Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said a draft of the amendment had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers and would be tabled at the Parliament sitting in March.

Zahid, who is also home minister, said online gambling operators were cunning in that they used various tactics to avoid action by the authorities. He said this when speaking to reporters at the Utusan Melayu Veterans Club (KVUM) Charity Tea earlier this week.

The official said there were several constraints facing the authorities in combating online gambling despite the close cooperation among the agencies involved, like the local authorities and the Royal Malaysia Police.

“TNB, which supplies electricity, also extends its cooperation, but Telekom Malaysia, which supplies fixed lines, is facing problems because fixed lines are no longer used.

“Instead the operators use smartphones to carry out their gambling activities. “If the authorities conduct raids, they (online gambling operators) will use other tactics, including changing the numbers.”

As such, the deputy prime minister reminded the public to not easily accuse officers or the authorities of “closing their eyes” to illegal gambling activities.

“We do not deny that some enforcement officers might have been bought over by the syndicates concerned but we will not compromise. If there is strong evidence, give it to me.”

Related topics:
Leave your comment
Subscribe to our newsletter
Enter your email to receive the latest news
By entering your email address, you agree to Yogonet's Condiciones de uso and Privacy Policies. You understand Yogonet may use your address to send updates and marketing emails. Use the Unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Unsubscribe
EVENTS CALENDAR