The BBC today reports that those governing the Malaysian city of Subang Jaya, near the capital Kuala Lumpur, have announced they are cracking-down on net cafes where online games can be played, amid fears that addiction levels are becoming a social problem. The Chinese and South Korean governments are also faced with similar problems, and China in particular has been highly pro-active in limiting the amount of time that can be spent in games. Authorities in the Malay city have given police powers to close cafes allowing gamers to play late into the night, the move being taken after a mother afraid for her missing son found him playing in a cafe during a 48-hour mammoth stint. The new rules governing net cafes will be introduced from next year.
Under the laws, cafes will have to separate gaming and surfing areas, obtaining a separate entertainment licence to allow gaming. Gaming areas of said cafes will be required to close at midnight, under the new legislation. Officers will be sent to patrol night cafes and check that owners are abiding by the new legislation. Many gamers resent this intrusion into their hobby, whilst other citizens have welcomed the news, saying they believe it will help cut crime and addiction levels.
With gaming, especially the online variety, booming across east-Asia like never before, it won’t be long before other countries beginning introducing laws to combat the negative impacts of excessive play – like China are already doing. More soon.
Source: BBC News
Source: Ferrago
Is this good bad or ugly?
From personal experience I’ve seen the cops trying to shut down the cybercafes after midnight, but well it doesn’t really happen, they just lock the door, and you can knock to go round the back or they will just unlock and let you in if they know you.
Plus with the greater penetration of broadband at home, kids can just play games there instead.
Many gamers though are over 18, surely it’s their choice how to spend their time, and that SHOULD NOT be dictated by the government, that’s how I feel anyway.
If I want to stay in a cafe for 3 days straight, without sleeping, washing or eating properly, why can’t I?
It’s my prerogative.
I guess it protects the kids, but why not just make it over 18 after midnight? Compulsory IC check at the desk, police do spot checks?
Wouldn’t that be a more reasonable solution rather than out and out shutdown.
Some of us work during the week, so we enjoy playing until 4-5am at the weekends..
I personally like gaming, especially DOTA, and well it does worry me when I see young kids in cafe’s every day playing games, because well:
How do they pay for it?
Shouldn’t they be doing their homework?
Do their parents know where they are?
Why are they out so late alone?
And so on..
But well at some point it’s going to infringe on the rights of others due to what? Bad parenting? Irresponsible kids?
There has to be a healthy balance somewhere, or a lot of people are going to be pissed.
dota in general should be banned….
shit. and I thought this was about illegal gambling dens.
wtf is dota I still haven’t seen it being played… i finished Wc3 CAMPAIGN YEAY/.
in my opinion… it was a good decision.
i don’t want our youth become so lazy to get socialize just like singaporean + I do believe that it will only makes our youth generation become lazier to go for sports or recreational activity if they’re becoming games addictor.
Some people can’t control the addiction and everybody else get punished for it. No w ain’t that fair? Kids who can’t control the addiction need help. Even if the cybercafes close at 12, they are just going to go somewhere else and continue playing. There must be a better way to handle this than closing it at 12.
I definitely agree with shaolin tiger. It’s again stupidity on the part of the government. Fear of people unable to socialize… pfffbt. Horse radish. Well I suppose this would just encourage hardcore gamers to LAN more 😛 as in LAN partying. Though this would serve quite a blow to the industry… what am I saying, better shut it before I make a fool of myself
Dota online don’t play in cyber cafe.I have one friend lose thousands on this cyber cafe gambling.
Can never stop ‘PIN’ business unless those focking corruption stop
what?! dota banned!? its so important to me, not just as a game, but as a means of hanging out with buddies, and more importantly, my younger brother.
wei.. no such thing as games addictor ok? got games addict lah.
basically, u juz blaming games for making youth lazy to do sports. well, that’s just lame. If the kid is a criminal, he still can be lazy to do sports. So, you think banning cybercafe opening after midnight is gonna help ?
Basically, i find the government is just REALLY STUPID. juz b’coz 1 idiot’s fault, everyone have to face the same punishment. that missing kid should’ve kena whack “kau-kau” for causing all this trouble.
The parents and children should
communicate each other about the importance of informing the children’s whereabouts at all times.
How can a kid not tell his/her parents his/her whereabouts after 24 hours?. his/her parents dun care meh?
WTF man! wtf make the curfew! we’re not livling in jail or prison. we r grownups, we hv our own human rights to spend the time we want to., seriously fuxed up , the malaysian gov..why don they spend more time doing other beneficial stuffssss? such as catching illegal prostitution? or finish their document work? or catch the criminals?
At this rate they might as well ban fun in general. And I love how that panicked mom blamed cafes for her son’s disappearance. If her kid crashes at a friend’s place after studying for an exam… would she ban her kid from studying? 😛
Bleh.
I agree with the over 18 after midnight rule more.
Of course, enforcement is another different thing.
Fully grown adults should have a choice how much they want to play a computer game. It’s right to put a limit on kid’s play though.
I think it would be better for the Government to crack up the gamblings instead of these harmless games.
But what the heck?
Better destroy both anyways, while they’re at it.
In the Subang SS15 area, most of the gamers are kids as there are a couple of schools there.
You will be surprised to see 10 year old kids out at night playing CS and Dota.
I’m a bit worried about the not washing for three days bit ST, that I can see having health implications – other than that, I agree. 🙂
Malaysian Government are getting more and more preposterous. Stupid. I heard a few years back, they wanted to close down Internet cafes, and ban games like CS. Well, i guess that’s just piles of shit. Msian Government talk to much, they dont walk the walk, they just talk the talking cock.
Obviously those who haven’t play DOTA dunno that it’s the best way to socialize with your 9 friends or make 9 new friends.
Anyway, in this country banning is the best way they can come out with.
Over population of crows-shoot.
Gangsters in snooker (prestiges international sport) – Banned snooker.
Boy playing too much DOTA and not coming home – Banned cafes.
Boy playing too much FOOTBALL and not coming home – Banned football.
Gangster playing football – Banned football.
Err…Junkies found behind LOT 10 – Shut down Lot 10.
I just wanna beg the gangsters not to ‘touch’ any healthy sports because with the ‘idiotic way of solving problem’ we will not have any football, basketball, chess or Scrabbles in the future.
Banning snooker center and cafes are the sign…
Cutting down crime! R they joking, while Im playing Call of Duty 2 a tornedo could be kicking ass outside my house, Im glued in, totally immersed in the game, Im certainly not outside kicking the crap out of STs cars bodywork.
I agree, that many kids spend too much time playing and surfing in the net, but if you are over 18, it’s your choice what you are going to do in your life.
the ruling is dumb. Goverment or the local council don’t really see the big picture or plan ahead. (planning next month ain’t good enuff)
1 mother complain his son missing for 48 hours only she started realising that brat is stuck in a 48 hours gaming challenge ?
how about the very next day, 3 mother complain that their son spend all 72 hours at home playing barbie doll and putting lipstick at each other ?
1 stupid kid making us all suffer. they should make games cheaper so everyone can purchase it. And FREE INTERNET !
I am a gamer as well…I think the parents should not just blame the cyber cafes..the parents should hold some responsibility too….how can you not know where your under 18 kid is??
as to the “Bad parenting? Irresponsible kids?” part.. i rather agree with that. am seeing it all around me yo.. friends skipping studies.. parent’s not knowin where they are.. and this studies ain’t malaysian high school, i’m talking college and university.. private ones that cost heaps.. i say the gahmen shuld step in when things get out of the citizen’s hands (fireworks, road casualties during festivals, etc)
The government contradicts themselve. At one hand they want to curb gaming by closing down cc but on the other hand they want to promote gaming as a healthy sport thru events like WCG.
Show me one thing the Government or the Dewan Rakyat doesn’t want put a stop to and I will show you man who could stuff his cock into his own anus.
Please la people. Don’t always go blame games and whatever you feel like it to make you feel holier than thou.
CS rul3z… !!!111 one one
i think u shud all get jobs and play Games in moderation
thats my opninon