Sarawak is capping the number of gaming operators in the state to the present three - Sports Toto, Magnum Corporation, and Natural Avenue - as it has no plans to increase licences to new entrants.

"The federal and state governments have agreed some time back that there should be no new gaming outlets in the state," Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (right) was quoted by local media at the sidelines of the 4th session of 16th state assembly sitting which ended yesterday. bn supreme council mt meeting sapp sabah issue 190608 taib mahmud

"People here do not like gambling. The few who like to do it does not make these gaming outlets legal," he added.

'Masterminded by those in authority'

He was referring to the illegal gaming outlets that has mushroomed such as Telelink, which sells the Da Ma Cai lottery numbers forecast via the Internet. Although local authorities managed to shut down the Telelink outlets late last year, it resurfaced recently with a vengeance.

Industry sources claimed that plans are afoot to open as many as 40 new Telelink outlets in Sarawak in the coming months. The number of illegal gambling outlets in Sarawak has remained a mystery.

Speculations are rife that an assistant minister and a senior government officer are behind the Telelink outlets. When asked to comment on such speculation, Taib Mahmud said: "I wouldn't know. If there is, it is up to the police to find out and reveal. If there is none, why talk? I'm not good at rumours. We don't do rumours."

Allegations of those in the authority being the mastermind of the illegal gambling outlets in the state are not new. Last year, media reports quoting unnamed sources, alleged that a local politician is supporting the illegal firms with investments of at least RM1.5 million for each outlet. At the same time, the Sarawak police were unsuccessful in trying to ferret an estimated two dozens of unmarked Da Ma Cai operators who had reportedly gone underground.

Fifteen Telelink outlets were shut down by police in a series of raids last year. These outlets attracted police attention as its services were prominently displayed outside the premises.

Loophole in law

Agents of illegal lottery outlets has reiterated that they are in fact operating through a "loophole" in the state's law, which doesn't prohibit electronic gambling such as those provided by Telelink.

Punters on Da Ma Cai need only to open an account with Telelink via the Internet to place their bets. Once registered, a punter can buy numbers by calling Telelink's call centre or SMS text.

As such, Pan Malaysian Pools (PMP) who is the owner of Da Ma Cai, does not have to be physically present in Sarawak. Hence, it is not subject to the 10 percent sales tax imposed by the state government on legal gaming operators. However, Telelink is said to be charging the sales tax on its punters.

PMP has denied that it has anything to do with the illegal Telelink outlets in Sarawak.

"We wish to state that PMP, the authorised sole and exclusive agent of Lembaga Totalisator Malaysia to conduct the 3D and 1+3D Numbers Forecast Games, has not appointed Da Ma Cai selling agents in Sarawak," said the company in a statement before the Sept/Oct police raids last year.

Where are the evidence?

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Local Government David Teng reckoned that there should be evidence first before the media links the illegal gambling outlets with those in authority. "Let the police check. If there's evidence to back up these allegations, then the media can name them,"he said. "It is not fair as otherwise people will jump to conclusions."

Sarawak CID Chief SAC 11 Huzir Mohamad confirmed that his department is monitoring the existing outlets apart from looking for those behind them. He added that police would only take action if new outlets started to emerge. "We have not received any reports from the public on the matter," said Huzir. "However, we are taking note of the comments by politicians and the authorities on the issue of illegal gambling."

Both State Secretary Wilson Baya Dandot and Sarawak Commissioner of Police Mohamed Salleh were not available for comment. Local media earlier reported that Salleh refused to be interviewed on the issue of illegal gambling.