Cabinet could have revoked decision to increase special draws, says Syahredzan

DAP vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan has challenged PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan's assertion that the special lottery draw decision was not raised in the Cabinet. Takiyuddin, who was in charge of law during Muhyiddin Yassin's premiership from 2020 to 2021, claimed that ministers never discussed the matter in Cabinet meetings.

In a post on Threads, Syahredzan questioned whether PAS ministers were merely passive observers, stating that the Cabinet, the country's highest executive body that meets weekly, could revoke any decision. "Were the PAS ministers back then merely bystanders? I am sure they were not," he said. "So why did they allow such a decision to be made?"

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who was in office at the time, defended the government's decision, stating that special draws have been a recurring issue since 1999 and a ceiling of 22 draws was already in place under the Barisan Nasional administration. Tengku Zafrul, now the prime minister's senior political adviser, was responding to claims that he was personally responsible for increasing the number of special draws to 22.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously dismissed those who labeled him a "gambling boss," asserting that his administration had reduced the number of special lottery draws from 22 to eight a year, with 11 special draws taking place in 2019 before the Pakatan Harapan government cut them to eight in 2020.