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Time for entertainment outlets to curb illegal gambling

The inspector-general of police’s (IGP) admission and proposals where he urged that all entertainment outlets be placed within one designated area in each state (Free Malaysia Today, June 24, 2016) ought to be lauded and seriously studied, as illegal gambling disguised as entertainment outlets have of late spruced up sporadically in strategic locations

We cannot deny that it is difficult to prove illegal gambling in court as they are very high-tech and easily covered up. This is especially true when people can allegedly misuse their power to ‘hide’ the gambling activities from the authorities by collecting ‘protection’ money. The police force would have trouble tracking all illegal gambling joints spread across various spots without ‘insider information’ from whistleblowers, if there is any.

We cannot deny that some local authorities or enforcement officials cannot resist the lucrative bribes of the illegal gambling industries. Thus steps should be taken and studies made on curtailing their activities. Having said that, it is crucial that public authorities adopt a proactive approach to ensure that the appropriate resources to prevent and address gambling problems are specifically targeted within the areas that might host or be proximate to these vices.

We cannot deny that ‘illegal gambling activities’ are a social scourge that have a far-reaching vicious social scourge resulting with broken families and criminal activities for those who are in debt or addicted.

Furthermore, gambling problems often co-exist with other problems including substance abuse such as drugs and alcohol, resulting in many of the workers struggling to hold a job or maintain relationships. Hence it is a timely move to have entertainment outlets concentrated on one area for continuous and effective monitoring by the local authorities.


TI LIAN KER is the MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson, MCA central committee member and Kuantan MCA division chairperson.

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