KUALA LUMPUR: Police top brass have lauded a proposal for stricter penalties on illegal gambling, expressing confidence it will serve as a deterrent for offenders.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador (pix) said the proposal to amend and magnify current penalties for illegal gambling was an excellent move.
“We are very thankful as this will serve as a deterrent. A hefty fine and lengthy jail term will serve as a lesson to offenders and will help cripple such activities,” he told theSun yesterday.
Federal police CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed, who also lauded the proposed amendments that were announced during the tabling of Budget 2020, said the enhanced penalties would curb and suppress illegal gambling operators and punters.
He warned illegal gambling operators to cease such activities before the new provisions catch up with them.
“We wish to warn them to stop their activities now or face the full brunt of the new amended law when it comes into force.
“In addition to the new provisions of the law, preventive laws such as the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) and forfeiture law, the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act, will also jointly play an important role in curbing illegal gambling,” he told theSun.
Huzir said with the emergence of online gambling, police faced new prosecution challenges due to the lack or absence of appropriate terminology in the law.
“Police hope to see new terms related to online gambling that are specific to enable smooth conclusion of our investigations. During a discussion on the amendment of the Common Gaming Houses Act, we had raised the issue on the burden of proof in identifying the location of internet servers.
“We suggested to the Finance Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers that screenshots of gambling webpages and related activities of the syndicates should be sufficient to prove gambling offences,” Huzir said.
He also hoped the government would fund the training of more police personnel in handling and countering internet-related gambling activities.
Yesterday, lawyers and a criminologist voiced support for the amendments in a front-page story of theSun.
Under the Budget 2020 proposal announced by the government to stamp out illegal gambling activities, current provisions in the Common Gaming Houses Act are to be enhanced to a higher minimum mandatory penalty of RM100,000 for illegal gamblers and a minimum mandatory jail sentence of six months.
For illegal operators, it was proposed that a higher minimum mandatory penalty of RM1 million and a 12-month minimum mandatory jail sentence be imposed.
The penalty for illegal gambling now under the Act is a fine of up to RM50,000 or up to six months’ jail, or both, while operators can be fined up to RM50,000 and jailed up to three years, or both.
