KUALA LUMPUR – There are elements of “political patronage” in illegal online gambling syndicates, and police are fully aware of the matter, said Home Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In fact, he told the Dewan Rakyat, political patronage is the biggest obstacle faced by the Home Ministry and the police in tackling the issue.
As such, it will take great political will for the country to eradicate illegal online gambling, the minister said during question time when answering Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan (Sg Buloh-PH) who asked about steps to curb online gambling.
“Yes, there are elements of political patronage. Affirmatively, they exist.
“This is the source of influence and protection, corruption and bribery, and the lack of political will to tackle this problem.
“The players are under the protection of a political master. For example, (when) information is leaked. The police very much understand that this pattern exists, and (it is) on the radar of police investigation.
“This needs full attention as it has been creating social issues and affecting the nation’s economy,” he said.
Ramanan had asked a supplementary question about whether political patronage was why online gambling persisted.
Saifuddin said he was also puzzled as to how politician(s) could support illegal activities that are detrimental to society.
“So this matter requires a whole nation approach,” he said.
The senator added that the Home Ministry is also facing outdated legislation and cannot inflict stiffer punishment on masterminds of online gambling.
Both the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and Betting Act 1953 have not been amended for 70 years and online gambling was not mentioned as a platform, making it difficult for law enforcement personnel to take action against the criminals, he said.
“I guarantee that this new government comes with a new political will. First, our outdated laws must be amended immediately, we cannot delay this,” he said.
Saifuddin said that online gambling syndicates targeting Malaysians are large-scaled, well-organised, sophisticated criminal networks, with significant financial resources and high technology capability backed by an international network.
He said police are gathering data to identify the hierarchy of such syndicates and networks.
The ministry is also working closely with the Communications and Digital Ministry to suspend related websites.
“We have also been working with Bank Negara because these operations involve money transactions. Payment methods, transaction volume, source of funds, money laundering pattern are all crucial data and it is on police radar.” – The Vibes, June 15, 2023
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