Malaysia Considers Permanent Task Force Against Illegal Gambling

Malaysian MP Kelvin Yii has advocated for a permanent joint task force involving federal and state authorities to combat illegal online gambling in Sarawak. The proposal aims to unify enforcement agencies and regulators to address the ongoing re-establishment of operations after police intervention.

What Happened

Malaysian Member of Parliament Kelvin Yii has called for the establishment of a permanent joint task force comprising federal and state authorities to counter illegal online gambling in Sarawak, according to iGaming Today. The proposal seeks to consolidate enforcement agencies and regulators to effectively disrupt operators who reportedly resume business swiftly following police raids.

Yii’s initiative extends beyond simply closing physical premises linked to illegal betting. His proposal, as reported by DAP SARAWAK, advocates for a coordinated strategy that includes comprehensive financial investigations, blocking of gambling websites, and the targeting of payment networks crucial for gambling syndicates. The aim is to create a permanent body capable of addressing the problem holistically, rather than relying solely on sporadic enforcement actions.

Key Details

• The proposed task force would integrate the Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and local government councils, as stated by iGaming Today.
• Its mandate would include targeting syndicate leaders, freezing their financial networks, revoking business licenses of establishments linked to illegal gambling, and accelerating the closure of unlicensed gambling sites, according to iGaming Today.
• Reportedly, convenience stores and local coffee shops are being utilized as fronts for illegal online gambling, selling top-up cards and serving as gathering points for illegal betting, a concern noted by Yii and reported by Focus Gaming News.
• Sarawak police made nearly 5,000 arrests between 2022 and 2025 and requested the MCMC to block approximately 1,500 gambling websites during the same period, according to law enforcement data cited by iGaming Today.

Why It Matters

The proposal highlights a perceived gap in current enforcement strategies against illegal online gambling in Sarawak, where operators reportedly manage to resume activities despite police intervention, according to Yii’s statements to iGaming Today. By consolidating federal and state agencies into a permanent structure, the initiative aims to shift from reactive raids to a more proactive and sustained campaign. This integrated approach, encompassing financial investigations and regulatory actions alongside physical site closures, signals a recognition that effective combat against illegal gambling requires addressing the entire operational ecosystem, not just individual components.

What’s Next

The establishment of this permanent task force would provide a legal mandate for targeting syndicate leaders and freezing their financial networks, along with accelerating the closure of unlicensed gambling sites and revoking business licenses, as outlined in the proposal reported by iGaming Today. This suggests a move toward a more integrated enforcement framework that combines financial inquiries, actions against physical sites, and online regulations under a unified authority.

Originally reported by iGaming Today·Published 23 Oct 2026, 22:00