SABAH MAY BE UNABLE TO CURB GAMBLING

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP said the State Barisan Nasional (BN) Government may not be able to solve the gambling problems here, especially slot machines, as "it has given away such rights to the Federal Government."

Sabah DAP Deputy Chairman, Fred Fung, said: "Despite the public's displeasure over the presence of so many slot machine clubs in Sabah, the State Government continues to stay silent and not act against it."

"This is because the Umno-led State Government has lost its power to do anything as it had surrendered such power to Kuala Lumpur long ago," said Fung.

Fung said if the State Government is serious in tackling the slot machine menace, it should ask the Federal Government to return the power to control gambling activities to Sabah.

He said Sabah DAP's stand is that gambling, especially slot machines, must be controlled to ensure that it does not cause irreversible social problems.

"Many families have been destroyed because of such machines in Sabah but, unfortunately, the BN Government continued to keep a blind eye on it," he said.

"Unlike in Sarawak where slot machines are banned, Sabah continued to allow such clubs to flourish."

He said the slot machine club licences were issued during the administration of PBS for sports and recreation clubs as a means to finance their activities.

"Among the conditions were that such clubs must have facilities like tennis courts and other sports facilities to qualify for the licences and only those with membership are allowed to enter.

"The local authorities, police and Muis (Majlis Ugama Islam Sabah) seem to be powerless to act against these clubs for flouting rules like operating round-the-clock 365 days a year."

He said slot machine outlets have become a nuisance where most of them are located in Kota Kinabalu and its surrounding areas, especially in Penampang.

Fung said maybe Universiti Sabah Malaysia (UMS) should do a detailed study on the slot machine menace so that the BN leaders can see for themselves the harm it had caused to many Sabahan families. (DE)