Malaysian MP seeks permanent task force on illegal gambling in Sarawak

Kelvin Yii, a Malaysian member of parliament, is urging federal and state authorities to set up a standing joint task force to tackle illegal online gambling in Sarawak. The plan would unite enforcement agencies and regulators, aiming to deal with operators that restart business after police raids.

Under the plan, the Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, MCMC and local government councils would all be part of the body, with federal and state agencies cooperating inside it. It would hold a standing legal mandate to go after syndicate leaders, freeze their financial networks, revoke business licences and accelerate the shutdown of unlicensed gambling sites. Financial inquiries, action on physical premises and online regulation would sit within a single enforcement framework.

Yii says shops such as convenience stores and neighbourhood coffee shops serve as fronts for illegal online gambling, reportedly selling top-up cards and giving people somewhere to gather for illegal betting. He notes that these operations have spread from Kuching, Sarawak's capital, into smaller towns and rural areas. The proposed ability to revoke local business licences would tackle this side of the activity, the report said.

Law enforcement data shows Sarawak police carried out almost 5,000 arrests from 2022 to 2025, while in the same period they asked MCMC to block close to 1,500 gambling websites. Yii argues that operators are able to resume activity soon after police step in, and he believes existing enforcement programmes are no longer adequate given how often illegal gambling operations reopen.