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

DAP vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan has raised doubts about PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan's assertion that the decision to increase special lottery draws to 22 per year was never brought up in the Cabinet. Takiyuddin, who served as the law minister during the Muhyiddin Yassin-led government from March 2020 to August 2021, claimed that ministers never discussed the matter during Cabinet meetings.

Instead, PAS ministers only voiced their opposition after learning of the decision to increase the number of special draws. Syahredzan questioned whether PAS ministers were merely bystanders, expressing surprise that they allowed the decision to be made. The finance minister at the time, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, stated that the government, including PAS ministers, was collectively responsible for the decision.

However, Tengku Zafrul, now Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's senior political adviser, clarified that the special draws had existed since 1999 and that an annual ceiling of 22 draws was already in place under the Barisan Nasional government before his tenure as finance minister. This comes after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim dismissed critics who labeled him a "gambling boss," noting that his administration had reduced the number of special lottery draws from 22 to eight a year, with only 11 held in 2019 before the Pakatan Harapan government's intervention in 2020.

The issue of special lottery draws gained renewed attention last month following the Federal Court's dismissal of the Kedah government's appeal to overturn a ruling barring it from denying renewal licenses to pool betting and lottery operators.