Datuk Seri Osu bin Haji Sukam, is a former Chief Minister of the Malaysian
state of Sabah

Sabah

Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

. He became the 12th Chief Minister of the state in 1999 and took over the post from Bernard Dompok. Following the rotation system in place at that time, Osu, an ethnic Bajau

Bajau

The Bajau or Bajaw , also spelled Bajao, Badjau, Badjaw, or Badjao, are an indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia...

, held the post for two years representing the Muslim bumiputra

Bumiputra

Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...

s of Sabah. In 2001, he was replaced by Chong Kah Kiat

Chong Kah Kiat

Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia. He is also the former president of the Liberal Democratic Party .-History in politics:...

. Until July 14, 2005, he was a member of a ruling United Malays National Organization party, which he resigned from due to gambling

Gambling

Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...

 debts totalling at least USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

$1.8 million he accumulated from Ritz Hotel Casino in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and another casino. He bears a striking resemblance to Roland Gift

Roland Gift

Roland Lee Gift is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...

, the lead singer of the pop group the Fine Young Cannibals

Fine Young Cannibals

Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox , and singer Roland Gift...

.

Gambling Debt

The casino obtained a judgment in the High Court in England

High Court of Justice

The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...

 to recover debts owed by Osu. The casino sought to enforce the judgment in Malaysia by registering the judgment in the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in July, 2005. The High Court at Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...

refused to register the judgment on grounds of public policy. However in 2007, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the casino allowing the debt to be recovered.