Malaysia Official: Politicians Not Allowing Gambling Dens to Pose as Grocery Stores

A local government official in Sarawak State, Malaysia, has hit out at accusations that officials are turning a blind eye to gambling dens whose operators disguise their premises as grocery stores.

In a Facebook post, Wilfred Yap Yau Sin, a legislative councillor in Kota Sentosa, said allegations that the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) are “unfair, misguided, and politically motivated.”

The SUPP is the second-largest party in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly and forms part of the state’s ruling coalition.

Yap was responding to a slew of social media posts alleging that SUPP leaders are looking the other way when they come across gambling parlors disguised as coffee shops and grocery vendors.

He claimed that state legislators are powerless to instruct the police or local councils to crack down on illegal gambling operators in the state.

Malaysia Gambling Dens ‘Doubling as Grocery Stores’

The politician pointed out that under the terms of federal laws such as the Public Gambling Act of 1953, such powers lie solely with the Royal Malaysian Police.

He explained: “Local councils can only issue business licenses. If illegal gambling is being carried out at a licensed venue, only the police can investigate, conduct raids, or prosecute.”

However, Yap conceded that while combating illegal gambling operators remains a police matter, local councils can play a “preventative” role.

He said they have the power to conduct background checks on applicants before issuing business licenses.

Yap added that the private sector also has a responsibility to fight gambling. He said: “Real estate owners should run a background check on potential tenants before renting out their properties. This will help prevent their properties from being misused for illegal purposes.”

The councillor also took aim at federal lawmakers, saying: “Directing anger toward state legislators is not only unfair. It also ignores the inaction of Members of Parliament, who could influence the relevant law enforcement agencies.”

A Political Blame Game?

Yap noted that he is powerless to order crackdowns or revoke business licenses. But he claimed that he had followed up on residents’ complaints by reporting them to the police.

The councillor said that playing the political blame game cannot solve the problem, adding: “If there is real concern about illegal gambling in an area, it should be the lawmaker for that area who should take the lead. They should speak about the matter in Parliament and push for stronger federal enforcement.”

In May, police in the state of Selangor arrested over 120 people and recovered the bodies of several dead birds during a raid on an illegal cockfighting and lottery tournament.