THE STRAITS TIMES 26 Nov 2010
KUALA LUMPUR – A JOHOR lawmaker has urged the Malaysian government to ask Singapore to stop its casinos from offering free trips to Malaysians, and to discourage them from gambling across the Causeway.
He wants Singapore to impose an entrance fee on Malaysians and to allow them to list their family members on the gamblers’ register to ban their entry into the casinos – just like it does for Singaporeans.
Malaysian visits should be limited to, say, 50 times a year, said Pekan Nenas state assemblyman Tang Nai Soon.
The state MP made his call in the state assembly on Wednesday, in the wake of increasing complaints that housewives and the elderly were being lured to Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands casinos by free tours.
‘Gambling can cause grave social ills,’ he said.
Mr Tang’s was the latest voice to join the chorus of discontent that started some months ago, when the Chinese media started to run reports about the swarm of Johoreans crossing into Singapore daily to gamble.
Read the full story in Friday’s edition of The Straits Times.