IPOH: Cybercafe owners and Internet surfers here said they would welcome guidelines to curb illegal online gambling as long as they do not infringe on users' privacy or affect genuine operators from running their business.

Deputy Home Minister Ong Tee Keat was recently reported to have said that a set of guidelines would be introduced to monitor "e -gambling" at cybercafes.

He said online gamblers were taking advantage of "loopholes" and Malaysia's present laws were inadequate to cover this area. Moreover, cybercafes are classified as restaurants, complicating enforcement work.

Electronic gambling is a form of gaming at cybercafes that allegedly operate as "online casinos" where a bet is placed for a wager, with payoffs at the end of the game.

Although some websites offer online gambling activities, legal warnings are posted for users' attention.

The issue came to light in Malaysia recently when a schoolboy from Johor fell prey to online gambling and accrued hefty debts.

A check at cybercafes here confirmed that they had been approached by "dealers" offering to set up e-gambling at their premises. One cafe proprietor, who wished to remain anonymous, turned down the offer.

"They offered to give me five terminals with some software to allow my customers to gamble," he said.

"Our business is bound to be affected if the (e -gambling) problem persists. People will think we are a negative influence in society," said Hasnan Ahmad, owner of Mega Web Station.

He added that Internet Service Providers like Jaring and TMnet should check and regulate from their end, instead of passing the buck to cybercafe owners.

Cybersurfers frequenting Mega Web use the Net without restriction, he said, adding that this gives them the "best value for their money."

Another cybercafe operator, N.K. Foong--who manages RTS Technologies--suggested that credit card companies should provide better security services to prevent illegal gambling.

"There is a need for all the parties to work closely to control this problem," he said.

Some operators have initiated their own preventive measures. At Coffeenet, surfers are required to register before being allowed to get online. Proprietor Ooi Kim Liang said his customers have no complaints about the registration process.

Many observers however agreed that cybercafe operators and users should be educated about using the Internet responsibly. Malaysia Online's accounts manager P. Subramaniam pointed out that in leading countries, users are not restricted by tedious regulations.

"They tend to focus on education, which is what we should be doing too," he said.

An executive in a local company, Lina Ariffin, welcomed the guidelines but voiced doubt over their enforcement.

"I have little faith in enforcement because even after the US Government had passed a similar bill called the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act 1999, it has done little to prevent e-gambling, or even to reduce it," she said.

She also pointed out that the guidelines should not infringe upon individuals' right to express beliefs, preferences and activities.

"The Net promotes freedom by forcing surfers to be self-reliant, vigilant and tolerant," she said.

Lina also proposed that the authorities charge a tax on profits of cybercafe operators and investors who are offering online gambling.

"The government can also pass a law to regulate online gambling, if not prevent it," she said.

Designer Halim Hassan agreed, adding that imposing a minimum age requirement could prove effective in checking the problem.

Computer science undergraduate Suresh Chandran proposed the setup of a "watchdog" agency similar to the Business Software Alliance (BSA)--which combats software piracy--to monitor activities in cybercafes.

Other users suggested greater vigilance. "Operators promoting e-gambling in cybercafes should have their licences revoked," said internal auditor S. Ganesh.