Ramkarpal urges Sanusi to respect Federal Court ruling on Kedah gambling ban

George Town: DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh has called on Kedah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to honor the Federal Court's ruling regarding Kedah's ban on gambling venues. Ramkarpal made his request after Sanusi stated that the state government accepted the Federal Court's decision to reject Kedah's appeal against a ruling deeming its gambling ban unconstitutional.

Sanusi, during a speech in Kuala Ketil, expressed the need for additional clarification from his legal team regarding the broader consequences of the court ruling. Ramkarpal, however, cautioned Sanusi against attempting to evade the decision, which might be considered contempt of court. According to Ramkarpal, Sanusi should acknowledge that licensed gambling has been ingrained in Malaysian society, with gambling-related business licenses permitted under the Federal Constitution.

As the DAP National Legal Bureau chairman, Ramkarpal urged Sanusi to shift focus towards more effective measures to curb Muslims engaging in gambling activities. He proposed collaboration between the Kedah government and various federal agencies, such as the Finance Ministry, police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and local authorities.

Ramkarpal emphasized that such cooperation would be more efficient in combating illegal gambling while respecting the legal standing of licensed gambling operations. He cautioned that attempting to prohibit licensed gambling could lead to a surge in illegal gambling, including online activities by individuals or groups. Ramkarpal stressed that the Federal Court's latest ruling has clarified the status of licensed gambling, and Sanusi should accept that such activities are legal.