MELAKA: Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today called for a sweeping and concerted move involving all enforcement agencies to close down all premises serving as fronts for vice and gambling.
He called on the Melaka government and local councils, with immediate effect, to stop issuing licences for "family entertainment outlets.”
“It is clear that these licences are being misused. The games are not games, they are turned into gambling machines,” said Khalid.
“We do not need these entertainment centres and all these massage centres, guised as something else and then offering other services.”
Khalid was speaking after holding an hour-long dialogue session with senior police officers from throughout the state at the Melaka police headquarters in Bukit Beruang here.
He said local councils are empowered to act against such establishments.
“There are provisions under the laws enforced by the local councils. They can close down these operations. If there are illegal activities, then they should definitely act,” said Khalid.
Asked on the role of other enforcement agencies, the IGP declined to go into details, but he noted that there should be a cohesive move between all enforcement agencies to shut down all vice dens and illegal gambling outlets.
His remarks come in the wake of a Malaysian Anti Corruption Agency (MACC) swoop on a protection racket allegedly involving high-ranking police officers in the state which had allegedly shielded such activities from enforcement action for years.
Since May 16, nine police officers from three district headquarters and the state police headquarters have been remanded by MACC in relation to the racket.
“If they (local councils and the state government) have problems with closing these dens down, they should seek our help. As I said, it should be a joint move now," said Khalid.
“In the first place, the licences should be revoked, so I don't understand why there have been in some instances, delays in enforcement.
“If they are conducting illegal activities, close them down. There is no need to wait.”
Asked whether he was suggesting that local councils were also part of such protection rackets, Khalid declined to comment.
On speculation that the racket had links beyond the state, even into Bukit Aman, Khalid said that he would rather not answer.
“However, I can tell you that we have launched our own internal inquiry to find out whether there is any truth to this,” he said.