The Selangor government has no power to seal gaming centres as the responsibility is solely on the federal police force, said executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

This came after red-shirts leader Jamal Md Yunos brought along effigies of Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and Ean Yong while ‘raiding’ a gaming centre in Ampang Jaya.

The Sungai Besar Umno division chief also slammed Shah Alam authorities for not being able to curb the gaming centre activities.

In rebuttal to Jamal, Ean Yong stated that the police were empowered to raid gaming centres, not the state government.

Hence, he said Jamal should not pass the buck to the state government.

“I urge Jamal not to take the law into his own hands.

“If he got any information about illegal premises, he should hand it over to the police,” the Seri Kembangan state assemblyperson told a press conference in Serdang today.

Describing him as “jaguh kampung”, Ean Yong slammed Jamal’s raid as a means to cover up his own mistakes.

He said the state government was only empowered to manage commercial licences, and had no powers on raiding.

“As for seizure of the gaming machines, it’s the police’s right.

“The state government has no right to define whether the outlets are engaged in gambling activities. Our scope of enforcement is focusing on unlicensed business operations.”

Ean Yong, who is in charge on local government affairs, added that the local authority is willing to cooperate with the police in weeding out illegal gaming activities.

He said the local authority is lacking enforcement powers, thus making it difficult for them to take action.

“Gambling and vice are categorised as criminal matters. He (Jamal) should have noticed that.”

Appealing to the federal government to decentralise its powers, Ean Yong hoped that the state and local authority could form its own security force to maintain order.