PN govt nearly tripled special lottery draws, PKR man reminds Sanusi

Kedah PKR leader Tunku Nashrul Abaidah criticised menteri besar Sanusi Nor for his remarks against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim concerning pool betting and lottery operations in Kedah. Nashrul alleged that Sanusi was being hypocritical, as the PN-led federal government had significantly increased the number of special lottery draws when in power.

Under the PN government, the number of special lottery draws rose from eight annually to 22. Meanwhile, Anwar reduced the special draws to just eight a year when PAS was part of the coalition. Tunku Nashrul, Anwar's senior press secretary, characterized Sanusi's comments as hypocritical and politically motivated. In August, the Federal Court dismissed Kedah's attempt to overturn a ruling that prevented the state from revoking pool betting and lottery licences.

The Court of Appeal had previously ruled that the state's licence denial policy was unconstitutional. Sanusi argued that the decision on gambling activities now lay with Anwar, who serves as finance minister. Nashrul urged Sanusi to stop relying on Anwar to avoid responsibility for his legal setbacks. Dr Taufiq Johari, PKR Youth vice-chief, accused Sanusi of insulting the court's decision by using derogatory language in his attempts to bar operators from renewing their licences.

He emphasized that Islam strictly prohibits gambling for Muslims, and that such language was inappropriate for a leader like Sanusi. According to Johari, using such language was an insult to the court's decision and undermined the dignity of the Federal Constitution. The Federal Court's ruling was final and independent of executive interference; legal matters should not be exploited as political tools.