Decision to increase special lottery draws not raised in Cabinet, says Takiyuddin

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan stated that the decision to increase the number of special lottery draws to 22 per year was not raised during the Cabinet meeting. He clarified that the issue fell under the jurisdiction of the finance ministry, specifically Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who was the finance minister at the time. PAS representatives only expressed their objection once they became aware of the government's decision.

Tengku Zafrul, now the prime minister's senior political adviser, pointed out that special draws have been a part of the system since 1999 and the 22-draw annual limit was in place under the Barisan Nasional government prior to Tengku Zafrul's tenure. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government reverted to the established limit, and this information was communicated to Parliament through an official response. The present administration has since decreased the number of special draws to eight per year.