Cybercafes to close at midnight? WTF?!!

So some of you avid gamers might have heard the whole fiasco over cybercafes in the Subang area being forced to close at midnight due to some ruling. Now it seems that all cybercafes in Malaysia will have to close at midnight. Shocking? Fuck yes!

Sauce here!

KUALA LUMPUR: All cyber cafes will have to close by midnight daily and operate only from the ground floor of buildings once the guidelines to control them are enforced.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin said that under the new guidelines, cyber cafe operators were also banned from using tinted glass.

“Operators must ensure their shops can be seen from the outside,” he said.

“The new rule also requires those below 12 years old to be accompanied by their parents or guardians to cyber cafes and they are only allowed to stay until 10pm,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

The guidelines have been drawn up and ready to be enforced at anytime.

However, Hamzah did not say when the ministry was going to start enforcing them except to say it would be “as soon as possible”.

Hamzah said cyber cafes were also banned from other co-business activities, including having games, gambling, pornography, music and publications with negative elements.

“Cigarettes and alcohol cannot be sold or consumed at these premises,” he said.

Hamzah said operators were required to keep a register to record the entry and departure time of their patrons.

“This is to ensure that all patrons are checked by operators at all times. The owners of the business must also send the names of students who come to their premises to their schools,” he said.

Hamzah said some students had been found to play truant by changing their uniforms and visiting cyber cafes during school hours.

“We will also issue a warning to operators who allow students into their centres as this (truancy) has been getting out of hand,” he said.

Cyber cafes which did not comply with the guidelines would be blacklisted.

“The names of offenders will be sent to all local authorities and they will not be allowed to open such businesses again in any part of the country,” he said.

Although I don't frequent cybercafes that often anymore, on the occasions I do go out for a gaming session with the guys I notice almost everyone games until early morning. So now the government is asking all gamers to just stop gaming at 12? Or just stay at home and play online?

What is the government's justification for this new ruling? If it was to keep underaged kids away from cybercafes they could easily just enforce a ruling prohibiting all underaged customers staying after 12 (oh wai- they already have that ruling...)

With cybercafes being so widespread and popular...I wonder how the cybercafes will be affected. If the enforcement is as stringent as what's being done in Subang (MPSJ actually sealed up FTZ, a popular cybercafe near Asia Cafe) I shudder to think of the fate of gamers everywhere!