Sanusi to Ramkarpal: Come give Muslims a talk about not gambling

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Kedah's Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, has challenged DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh to deliver a sermon to Muslims about the dangers of gambling. Sanusi made the remark after Ramkarpal suggested the state government should concentrate on educating Muslims about gambling addiction instead of finding ways to circumvent a recent Federal Court ruling on commercial gaming licenses.

During a briefing organized by the Kedah Information Secretariat on the challenges faced by the state's ban on gambling, Sanusi affirmed that his administration would not relinquish its commitment to eliminate gaming establishments. He remarked, "We already have someone from DAP reminding us not to look for ways (to ban gambling in Kedah)."

"Fine, we'll invite him to give a talk later. Let DAP give a talk to Muslims telling them not to gamble." Earlier in August, the Federal Court rejected Kedah's application to appeal an appellate court decision that found the state had acted unconstitutionally by refusing to renew licenses for lottery and pool betting operators. In response to the setback, Sanusi stated that the ultimate decision on whether to permit or prohibit gambling activities in the state lies with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as the Finance Minister.

He cautioned that permitting gaming licenses could provoke public outrage in Kedah. "So the ball is in the finance minister's court," Sanusi said. On the same occasion, PAS central legal and human rights bureau chairman Wan Rohimi Wan Daud claimed that gaming operators are planning a similar legal challenge against neighboring Perlis over its ban on numbers forecast outlets.

Wan Rohimi, who also represents the Melor constituency, noted that a group had recently filed a lawsuit to overturn the policy. "What Kedah has experienced may spread to Perlis next. I was told that in Perlis, this gambling group has already filed a new case. They want to challenge it like in Kedah, and then target other states," he said.

In June, Perlis' Chief Minister, Abu Bakar Hamzah, reiterated that the state government remains committed to shutting down gaming operations, maintaining a phased closure policy initiated by his predecessor, Shukri Ramli. Perlis successfully completed the total shutdown of gaming outlets earlier this year after closing its final betting outlet in Padang Besar in early March.