Increase to 22 special draws was a collective responsibility of previous government, says Tengku Zafrul

Former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz clarified that the decision to raise the number of special lottery draws to 22 a year in 2021 was a collective decision made by the Cabinet, including PAS ministers who were serving in the government at the time. Special lottery draws have been a part of the system since 1999, with a 22-draw annual ceiling that was in place under the Barisan Nasional government before Tengku Zafrul became finance minister, according to Bernama.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government returned to the established 22-draw limit, which was also communicated to Parliament via an official response. However, under the current Madani government, the number of special draws has been reduced to just eight times a year, as Tengku Zafrul pointed out.

Responding to claims that he was personally responsible for the increase in special lottery draws, Tengku Zafrul emphasized that PAS had opposed the decision and that he was the one who approved it. The issue gained renewed attention after the Federal Court dismissed Kedah's bid to overturn a ruling prohibiting the state from refusing to renew licences for pool betting and lottery operators.

Kedah's Chief Minister Sanusi Nor suggested that the decision on gambling activities in the state now rests with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and warned that the Kedah people would "curse" Anwar if gambling resumed. Anwar has framed his position on this issue by pointing out that the number of special draws was reduced to eight from 22 after he assumed office, with the figure being 11 in 2019 before the Pakatan Harapan government cut it to eight in 2020.