Negeri Sembilan gov’t wants religious officers to join illegal gambling war

A state government is turning to the religious officers for backup in its war against illegal gambling centers in Malaysia.

The government of Negeri Sembilan, one of Malaysia’s 13 states, is mulling on the possibility that police can help train religious officers “to identify business premises used for illegal gambling activities,” The Malaysian Insider reported.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, chief executive for Negeri Sembilan, said cases were often thrown out of court because religious officers had no in-depth knowledge on the matter, which was why religious officers needed to be trained on “identifying the premises and gathering evidence to show that the operators had committed the offense.”

Mohamad was quoted by the news outlet saying, “I am aware of all that is happening.” However, he admitted that operators were coming up with creative ways to outsmart the authorities. Recently, there have been an increase in number of family entertainment centers and cafes being used as a front for gambling in the state.