PUTRAJAYA: The Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 must be amended as it is outdated and the punishments meted out to offenders, no longer relevant, says Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
He regarded most laws in the country as outdated, among others the Minor Offences Act 1955 (Act 336) which must be reviewed depending on current needs, by prioritising national needs and ensuring the people’s interests.
“I agree many laws in Malaysia are too old and formulated in the 1950s, and now is 2017. The Acts are already 60 years old and the punishments meted out are outdated.
“For example, the maximum penalty under the Minor Offences Act is RM100. It is not relevant in today’s situation and must be amended to give ample lesson to offenders,” he told reporters after attending the monthly gathering of the Attorney-General’s Chambers here yesterday.
Mohamed Apandi said this when asked to comment on the suggestion by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, that the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 be amended to eradicate gambling syndicates, especially online gambling.
However, the attorney-general said the effort to amend old laws was the government’s decision and the Attorney-General’s Chambers would only assist by studying and reviewing the drafts of the laws.
On the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, Mohamed Apandi said he had not received the draft of the law to be amended by the finance ministry before reviewing the requirements to make amendments to the act.
“We must view it comprehensively before it is tabled in Parliament,” he said, adding between 40 and 50 new bills and amendments were expected to be tabled at the Parliamentary session in March.
Earlier in his speech, he encouraged legal officers to learn French as an alternative language other than English, to help them read several documents in the foreign language.
“(Mastering) French will help us read documents related to the Pulau Batu Puteh case at the International Court of Justice. A class will be opened soon and I will be its first student,” he said.
In the meantime, Mohamed Apandi praised six officers who received certificates from him, upon having exhibited high integrity in carrying out their duties, including rejecting bribes and identifying falsification of reports submitted by third parties. — Bernama