Over 12,000 phone lines with link to gambling blocked in Malaysia

First they cut off power supply. Now, authorities in Malaysia have started blocking phone lines that they believe “have elements of gambling,” The Star has reported.

Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, communications and multimedia minister, confirmed on Tuesday that some 12,449 phone lines were blocked by the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in the first four months of 2016 as part of the government’s efforts to curtail online gambling operations in the country.

Government agencies including local police have been carrying out nonstop raids to flush out illegal gambling dens, but they said access to gambling sites were now made easier through short messaging services (SMS) advertisements.

Salleh said the commission received and investigated 438 public complaints between January and April involving gambling advertisements promoted using social media like Whatsapp.