Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian
KUCHING: The Local Government and Housing Ministry will continue to require all local councils to freeze the issuance of new licences for entertainment centres in the state.
Its minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said a circular was issued by his ministry’s acting permanent secretary, dated Feb 24 last year, requiring the secretaries of all local councils to ensure that the order is enforced in their respective administration area.
He said this was following another circular issued by State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani dated Feb 19, last year.
In the circular, Morshidi stated the decision to freeze the issuance of any new licence for entertainment centres was because the government was still studying cyber gambling-related issues, many of which involved such outlets.
“We will continue with this policy,” Dr Sim said when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
He was commenting on Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s call for state governments and local authorities to cease issuing licences for family entertainment centres. Khalid said this was because there were too many cases of operators abusing such licences to turn the family entertainment centres into gambling dens.
“What is the purpose of having family entertainment centres when it is filled with machines that are turned into gambling slot machines,” he was quoted as saying recently.
Khalid said it was unfair to blame only the police in the prevention of gambling activities when the local authorities issued the entertainment licences and had legal provisions to curb them.
Meanwhile, Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai confirmed that their councils had stopped issuing new licences for entertainment outlets in their areas of administration following the directive from the ministry.
“If they are operating, they are operating illegally,” said Abdul Abdul Wahap when contacted yesterday.
Kuching South City Council Mayor Datuk James Chan and Kota Samarahan Municipal Council chairman Datuk Peter Minos could not be reached for comment as of press time yesterday.