He said the police had received information about the involvement of politicians in online gambling.

“Police and MACC are sharing investigative information to verify and conduct further investigations into the matter,” he said in a statement. “We will not allow activities that are detrimental to society and the nation and every action taken is based on the law.”

The statement came hours after home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had reaffirmed his statement in the Dewan Rakyat that political patronage existed in online gambling.

However, he said the relevant information could not be divulged as it would affect investigations into the matter.

Answering a question in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Saifuddin had said the “political masters” would protect syndicates from legal action, which would then “reciprocate”. However, he did not elaborate on what this reciprocation entails.

The worldwide online gambling market was valued at an estimated US$63.53 billion in 2022 and is expected to double in size to about US$153.57 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7% from 2023 to 2030.

The rise in the online gambling market has come with greater internet access and the widespread use of mobile phones and social media.

Britain and China are the top markets in online gambling, which is legal in many countries, including the US, Australia, India, Japan, and Canada, but not in Malaysia. It is also illegal in most states of the US.