Bau: The spread of online gambling activities or so-called “yellow houses” in Sarawak, including rural areas, has reached an alarming level and requires an urgent national response, said Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol.
He warned that the phenomenon not only threatens social and moral well-being but also undermines the local economy and overall state development.
“It is deeply concerning that some grocery stores and village stalls are disguising their businesses as online gambling centres. This harms honest traders and disrupts rural social structures,” he said in a statement after raising the issue in Parliament’s Special Chamber session on 13 October 2025.
He said, according to the Sarawak Premier’s Department, the state has lost an estimated RM400 million in tax revenue since 2019 due to illegal gambling operations.
Although Ops Dadu has resulted in more than 500 raids and hundreds of arrests, Mordi said the problem continues to grow, proving that current enforcement efforts remain insufficient.
He urged the government to amend the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and the Betting Act 1953 to include digital gambling, mirror sites, and cryptocurrency transactions in line with the evolving tactics of modern syndicates.
Mordi also stressed the need to strengthen enforcement integrity to combat public perceptions of corruption and alleged protection for gambling operators.
During the same session, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the Home Ministry and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had undertaken various joint operations with agencies such as MCMC, local authorities (PBT), Bank Negara, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), and the MACC.
Measures include cyber monitoring, power cuts, account freezes under the AMLA Act, and the use of smart data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect illegal gambling transactions.
However, Mordi argued that the current approach remains operational rather than strategic, lacking a strong national coordination framework.
“The absence of a shared database between the police, MCMC and local councils allows premises previously raided to resume operations under new names at the same address,” he said.
To address this gap, he called for the establishment of a National Special Task Force comprising the Home Ministry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, and the Ministry of Digital.
Mordi also suggested that the government consider a regulated and licensed online gambling framework, with strict identity verification, age limits and tax audits, arguing that regulatory control is more practical than enforcement alone.
“This issue goes beyond crime – it touches on the social and moral fabric of our society. All parties – government agencies, community leaders and citizens must unite to tackle this menace for the sake of our state and nation’s future,” he said.
