SELANGOR will not freeze family entertainment licenses despite having to carry out ever increasing number of raids and to charge those operating illegal gambling dens.

Selangor executive councillor (exco) for local government Ean Yong Hian Wah said they will instead review guidelines for the licenses.

“We are reviewing strategies and legislation to have proper control and stringent control over this issue.

“It is not so much about the licenses because there are many gambling outlets that are operating illegally at various premises,” said Ean Yong, who also holds the portfolio of new village development and legalisation of factories.

State government statistics showed 52 family entertainment and cybercafé licenses were issued in 2016.

The data also showed a higher number of raids, gambling machines seized, individuals charged and money confiscated have escalated from January to May this year, an increase of 13% or from 1,641 to 1,854 as compared with the same period last year.

There was also a 60% increase of those charged during the same period, along with a 9% increase or from RM133,539 to RM145,566 in confiscated money.

Malacca is the first state to stop renewing or issuing new family entertainment centre licenses following Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar’s call to freeze them.

Khalid made the suggestion after the MACC exposed a protection racket involving five police officers and two police chiefs in Malacca last month.

All are now out on bail and MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad revealed that some key witnesses are missing, likely to have gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, Ean Wong said Selangor wants Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to direct the police to be stricter in tackling illegal gambling dens in the state.

The Seri Kembangan assemblyman said it will be hard to address the issue without the help of the police.

“We want Zahid to instruct the police to take action against the gambling dens like he did when he was in Penang last week.

“The local councils have limited power as they can only revoke the licenses and shut down illegal gambling dens.

“The councils don’t possess the expertise to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved,” he told reporters at his office at the state secretariat in Shah Alam today.

Ean Yong added that he had instructed local councils to act on the gambling dens and urged state police to be more proactive in the matter as well.

Last week, Zahid, who is home minister, had ordered the police to eradicate illegal gambling in the Penang, fearing that gaming kingpins will fund political parties as the general election draws near.

The Malaysian Insight had reported yesterday that there seems to be no end to the mushrooming of gambling dens despite Selangor’s measures to curb the problem. – June 19, 2017.