Sanusi mocks Ramkarpal with offer to lecture Muslims on gambling

Kedah Chief Minister Sanusi Nor directed a sarcastic remark at DAP MP Ramkarpal Singh, offering to invite the lawmaker to deliver a talk to Muslims on the reasons they should abstain from gambling. Ramkarpal had previously urged Sanusi to concentrate on deterring Muslims from gambling rather than attempting to defy the Federal Court's ruling that dismissed the state government's appeal for leave to contest the penalty of issuing gambling licenses.

However, Sanusi clarified that the pursuit to prohibit gambling in the state would persist. During a session discussing the challenges to banning gambling in Kedah, organized by the Kedah Information Secretariat, Sanusi remarked, "Fine, we'll invite him later to give a talk. Let DAP tell Muslims not to gamble." On August 12, the Federal Court declined the Kedah government's effort to reverse a ruling that prohibited the state administration from denying renewals for pool betting and lottery operators.

Sanusi stated that the decision regarding whether gambling activities would be permitted in Kedah now rests with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who simultaneously serves as the finance minister. He added that if Anwar were to endorse gambling activities, Kedah residents would be displeased with him. Meanwhile, PAS central legal and human rights bureau chairman Wan Rohimi Wan Daud alleged that there were also pursuits to contest the Perlis government's order to halt and shut down gambling establishments in the state.

He mentioned that a group had submitted an application to challenge the move. Wan Rohimi forecasted that Kedah's experience might spread to Perlis, noting that the gambling group had already filed a new case in Perlis, intending to contest the directive similarly to Kedah and target other states. Perlis Chief Minister Abu Bakar Hamzah reiterated in June that his administration was steadfast in eliminating gambling activities by preserving the closure of gambling outlets, a policy started by his predecessor, Shukri Ramli.

Perlis had been progressively closing gambling premises since the final numbers forecasting outlet in Padang Besar was shuttered in early March.