KUCHING: There are still concerns about the possibility that illegal gambling operations would continue to mushroom in Sarawak despite the integrated efforts by police to clamp down on these activities.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Women national vice-president Voon Shiak Ni disclosed that many concerned residents including the affected individuals had approached her at her service centre to lodge complaints and seek help.
“There are those with huge gambling debts of up to hundreds of thousands (of ringgit) and those being chased after by the ‘Ah Longs’ (loan sharks); there are children who simply run away, leaving their ageing parents to settle the debts,” she shared the scenarios of families that have been broken apart due to gambling debts.
She acknowledged that it was impossible to help them directly, but she called upon police to continue taking measures not only to crack down illegal gambling but also monitor those suspected to be running these illegal activities.
“After the raids, we went down to check the situation and we’re actually surprised to find out that most of the illegal gambling dens as well as counters selling illegal 4Ds (four-digit lottery tickets) at MJC (Batu Kawah New Township), Mile 4 and Mile 7 were closed down,” she said.
In this regard, Voon applauded the efforts by state CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar in running the statewide anti-gambling operations.
According to her, Batu Kawah New Township, Mile 4 and Mile 7 are among the top neighbourhood areas here where illegal gambling activities have been going on for quite some time.
However, Voon said if not monitored closely, illegal gambling could ‘spring back into operation’.
“This is the concern of the people.
“The (illegal gambling) operators might go under the radar during the raids and would only re-emerge once the situation cools down. I am in contact with nearly 20 neighbourhood crime watch groups, so I need to voice out their concern.”
Voon reiterated her grave concern over the mushrooming of illegal gambling dens in and around Kuching and Padawan areas, which she said would continue to bring negative consequences to society and aggravate existing social problems especially those affecting the young people.
Echoing Voon’s sentiments, Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang pointed out that there must be an ‘authority’ behind that had the ability to instil fear in these illegal gambling operators.
‘I noticed the massive closedown of suspected illegal gambling centres in Padawan all of a sudden. There must be an authority or power behind that was able to make them close down at once,” he observed.
As such, Lo — who is also Padawan Municipal Council (PMC) chairman — hoped that the said ‘authority’ could continue to ‘stare down’ the illegal gambling operators and ensure that no such illegal gambling dens would be able to reopen, especially in Padawan.
“Many people have come forward for help and also to complain whenever they witness how gambling addiction is destroying lives. In fact, the people want the authorities to take drastic action to enforce permanent shutdown on these illegal activities.
“We all know that gambling has ruined thousands of lives and can quickly become a problem for so many people. We need to realise that gambling brings with it a host of social ills; thus, contributing to the increase in crime rate,” he added.
It is reported that police conducted 25 raids on public places including five-footways, shophouses, grocery stores and coffeeshops across the state from March 20 to 26, which resulted in the arrest of 39 individuals. Of the total, 20 were raids on illegal 4D operations which resulted in the arrest of 29 individuals and seizure of cash amounting to RM10,714.
Operations against illegal cyber-gambling were also carried out in Lawas, Limbang, Serian and Marudi.