KUCHING: A man was fined RM10,000, in default six months and one day imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for dealing with an online gambling machine using a mobile phone.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu imposed the fine on 41-year-old Syed Fazilah Wan Sahak after he pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 4B(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The offence provides for a fine of between RM10,000 and RM100,000 for every gaming machine seized, and imprisonment of up to five years upon conviction.
According to the charge, Syed Fazilah was found dealing with a gaming machine, namely a Vivo mobile phone, at about 2:00 pm on April 29 in front of a cafe at near Muara Tebas Land District, Demak Laut here.
Facts of the case revealed that a police raid under ‘Ops Dadu’ was conducted by a team from Gita Police Station at the premises following suspicion of online gambling activities.
During the operations, police arrested the accused and seized a Vivo mobile phone believed to have been used for online gambling activities through the ‘918KISS’ application.
Investigations found that the gambling activities were based on games of chance and did not require any special skills.
Players reportedly purchased points or credits from organisers at the rate of RM1 per point before using them in various gambling games available on the application.
Winning points could later be exchanged back with organisers for cash rewards.
A forensic analysis conducted on the seized mobile phone confirmed the presence of elements linked to online gambling activities through the ‘918KISS’ application, leading to the charge against the accused.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani, while Syed Fazilah was unrepresented.
