Kota Kinabalu: Four individuals were each fined RM5,000 or nine months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here Tuesday for gambling in a public place last year.
Yong Shel Meng, 27, Dickson Siau Di Sheng, 27, Wong Woon Teck, 24, and Soo Tshun Seng, 26, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to committing the offence on May 21, 2025, at 11.35pm, at the RB Food Sdn Bhd, Block A, Tanjung Aru Plaza.
The four admitted to an amended charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or a jail term of up to six months, or both, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Muhammad Yousof Tahir Mahmood, in tendering the facts of the case, informed the court that on the said day, a police team conducted an “Op Dadu” raid at the said premises after receiving information on illegal gambling activities.
When no one responded to police instructions to open the door, officers forced entry into the premises.
Upon entry, four people, later identified as Yong, Siau, Wong and Soo, attempted to flee through the rear exit but were quickly detained.
Checks at the premises revealed that it was being used as an online gambling operation centre.
Police seized various gambling-related items from each individual, including monitors, Mac Mini CPUs, keyboards, computer mice, mobile phones and a WiFi router.
A gambling expert, who was present during the raid, later analysed the seized items.
According to the expert, each of the said individuals operated an individual computer kiosk linked to a system used to manage online gambling transactions, including recording customer bets and payments received via messaging applications.
Mobile phones seized from the accused were found to contain online gambling applications, confirming their involvement in the gambling activities.
Defence counsel Lim Ming Zoong, who represented all four, applied a fine of RM5,000 on each of them, citing their seven days in remand as tantamount to having already served part of the sentence, adding that they were remorseful.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Yousof pressed for a deterrent sentence, stressing the rampancy of gambling offences, particularly in the Tanjung Aru area.
In another case, a 40-year-old woman was fined RM1,500 or one month’s jail for having four illegal lottery tickets.
Rina Emarikan pleaded guilty to committing the offence at a premises beside a restaurant at Beverly Hills Plaza, Penampang, at 5.50pm on Dec 2, last year.
She was charged under Section 9(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
Rina was detained during an Op Dadu operation in which the police seized four lottery tickets, a mobile phone, a portable printer and RM84 in cash from her, who was found to be selling public lottery tickets without a valid licence.
The court ordered the seized RM84 to be forfeited as government revenue.
