KOTA SAMARAHAN: The increasing prevalence of online gambling within the community has prompted urgent calls for stricter legislation to combat the issue.
Kota Samarahan Member of Parliament, Datuk Rubiah Wang, said that current legislation regarding this matter is still too lenient, resulting in the inability to take firm action against known offenders.
According to her, the problem of online gambling in Samarahan is among the most prevalent to date, with her office receiving reports about such cases almost daily.
“Almost every day, I receive complaints via WhatsApp about online gambling syndicates, with the public often questioning why those involved have not been arrested.
“Some may think that arresting these individuals is easy, but in reality, we do not have sufficient legal provisions to act effectively.
“We are aware that the relevant ministry constantly deliberates on which legal aspects need updating – not just involving the police, but also national laws – to ensure this issue can be contained,” she said.
She said this in her speech during the Sarawak Police Contingent Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department’s townhall discussion at Dewan Peladang here today.
Rubiah, who is also the Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that existing laws concerning the issue are still too weak compared to provisions for other offences.
“For example, near my office, there are two to three online gambling outlets. Police have raided them before, but everyone fled.
“Following that, the premises closed for two or three days, only to reopen again later, because there is no law that can be used to effectively enforce action against these offenders,” she lamented.
In another development, Rubiah also revealed that a similar situation is happening with the growing abuse of ‘ketum’ in the Kota Samarahan area.
She noted that public confusion over the actual purpose and legality of ‘ketum’ use could lead to misunderstandings within the community.
