I refer to the report S'wak freezes cybercafe licenses, local councils told to keep mum .

Rumours have been flying around Sarawak that the state government has decided not to issue new cybercafe licence in Sarawak and it is likely to refuse renewing existing cybercafe licences from next year.

If this becomes a reality, it will cast doubts on the government's intention to promote information technology (IT).

Many tourists and visitors normally visit cybercafes to surf the Intenet as well as to playing some electronic games.

To do away with games at cybercafes is like asking a kopi tiam not to sell soft drinks, only coffee and tea. Or telling a fast-food outlet it can sell fast food but no drinks.

The Sarawak government has set up laws and regulation for the entertainment sector and it is a matter of implementing them instead of imposing unreasonable conditions and regulations one after another.

Dialogue sessions between the state government and cybercafe operators are needed before any change of conditions and regulations.

Has the Sarawak government considered how it is going to handle the unemployment factor if it goes ahead and closes down all cybercafes? What would the Sarawak government do to help this group of people?

Is the Sarawak government intent on pushing them to their wits end in looking for employment before forcing them into illegal activities in order to survive and hence creating more social problems?

The Malaysian federal government had no objection to the setting-up of a Ragnarok Internet game server in Kuala Lumpur and yet the Sarawak government has a decidedly different opinion on Internet games which is quite out of sync with that of the people.