Tuesday April 7, 2009
Restrict licences for cyber cafes
‘THE Penang local authorities have been urged to consider not issuing business licences to cyber cafe operators due to an increase in online gambling among patrons in such premises.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said the move would definitely help to reduce gambling cases, adding that existing outlet owners had regularly flouted regulations.
“The police are always caught in a chicken and egg situation.
“We carry out regular raids at these outlets but the council (Penang Municipal Council) keeps on issuing business licences to these operators,” he said when met at his office yesterday.
ACP Azam was responding to an earlier comment by Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik that the police were not doing enough in tackling the problem.
In a crime prevention seminar held at Komtar on Saturday, Ng said he had received complaints that cyber cafes turned illegal gambling dens were mushrooming in the city.
He also said the public had claimed that police were slow in their response despite being tipped-off on criminal cases.
To this, ACP Azam said the police had never procrastinated or tried to make things difficult for the complainants.
“We need to ask more questions related to the particular incident before we can act.
“The extra information is relevant to our investigations as it enables us to plan and make preparations to confront the culprits,” he said.
He said elected representatives should not politicise such issues to gain political mileage and put the blame on the police.
“They should instead verify their facts before making the claims,” he added.
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