Malaysia’s Forest City wants a rebirth. Scams, crime stand in the way

Behind the unmarked door of a shoplot along a quiet commercial stretch of Forest City in Malaysia’s Johor state, four customers sat tapping away, playing slot-style games on tablets.

A stern-looking man stood guard at the entrance, his eyes darting around.

The customers could place bets starting from around 20 ringgit (US$4.89). Instead of handing over cash, they paid for gambling credits using Malaysia’s Touch ’n Go e-wallet. They were then issued tablets from behind the counter with pre-installed slot games.

“Most of our customers are foreigners. Many play for hours and usually top up their credits a few times,” said the woman manning the counter. Many of them are workers living in Forest City, she said.