‘Stop playing games and get your facts right’ – Ramkarpal tells Sanusi

DAP Legal Bureau head Ramkarpal Singh Deo has bluntly instructed Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammed Sanusi Md Nor to cease his tongue-in-cheek invitation for Ramkarpal to deliver a sermon in Kedah regarding the social ills of gambling. Sanusi is privy to the full extent of the state government's resources to inform the public about the perils of gambling and to tighten enforcement, Ramkarpal pointed out in a statement.

He accused Sanusi of expecting a DAP MP to shoulder a task that falls squarely on his own shoulders as the state's chief minister. The courts had previously declared Kedah's ban on gaming outlets to be unconstitutional, reinforcing the lower courts' decision. It remains to be seen whether Sanusi has consulted with legal counsel in this matter, given his penchant for finding loopholes to circumvent the High Court ruling that the state lacks the authority to impose a blanket ban on licensed gambling, a verdict which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Ramkarpal emphasized that Sanusi must accept the Court of Appeal's decision, as any attempt to defy it would constitute contempt of court. In a recent briefing to the state civil service and civil societies in Alor Setar, Sanusi shifted the blame to the Finance Ministry for failing to assist Kedah in enforcing the ban due to the exorbitant taxes they levy.

Despite acknowledging that the matter is under federal jurisdiction, Sanusi cannot now seek ways to bypass it. The court's verdict unequivocally states that Kedah's policy of refusing to renew gambling-related business licenses violates federal powers, Ramkarpal reiterated.