TANJONG KARANG: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali's decision to follow Melaka’s footsteps in stopping the issuance of family entertainment centre license should be emulated by other state governments.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said Azmin's move should be lauded, as many such centres were only used as a guise by illegal gaming syndicates to carry out their activities openly.
"I have read Azmin's statement, where he said the state government would take in the Inspector-General of Police's suggestion for all local governments to stop issuing licenses to these entertainment centres.
"As a minister and one of Selangor’s MPs, I welcome his decision, because the state has been seeing the problem of mushrooming illegal gaming dens.
"Information that the ministry received also showed that many irresponsible parties have been abusing entertainment licenses issued to cover their illegal activities.
"As a minister, I also would like to call on all other state governments to follow this move. Stop issuing the license, because this problem, if not curtailed at an early stage, will pose much bigger problems to the society," he said at Jamiul Hasanat Mosque here today.
Noh spoke to reporters after he launched the Selangor chapter of Tahfiz Fire Fighter Squads, which saw 300 Tahfiz students from 30 religious schools in the state receiving their certificates and basic quick response kit from the minister.
Also present was Federal Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim.
Noh added that he also hoped that Azmin would act on his words and not just gave it as a mere rhetoric.
He also praised IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar's call, saying that illegal gambling activities had been creating social problems to the younger generation.