{
  "id": 5509363,
  "title": "Decision to increase special lottery draws not raised in Cabinet, says Takiyuddin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/decision-to-increase-special-lottery-draws-not-raised-in-cabinet-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T06:21:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/04/decision-to-increase-special-lottery-draws-not-raised-in-cabinet-says-takiyuddin"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "PAS secretary-general and ex-law minister Takiyuddin Hassan says the party's representatives in government voiced their protest after they learnt about the decision.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "General : Increase In Special Draws A Collective Responsibility Of Previous Government - Tengku Zafrul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/general-increase-in-special-draws-a-collective-responsibility-of",
        "published": "2026-09-03T09:54:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malaysiakini",
        "title": "Then-cabinet, including PAS ministers, approved more lottery draws - Zafrul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/then-cabinet-including-pas-ministers-approved-more-lottery-draws",
        "published": "2026-09-03T10:27:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Special lottery draw increase in 2021 was Cabinet’s decision, says Tengku Zafrul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/special-lottery-draw-increase-in-2021-was-cabinets-decision-says",
        "published": "2026-09-03T10:29:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Tengku Zafrul says increase to 22 special draws was collective Cabinet decision, not his alone",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/tengku-zafrul-says-increase-to-22-special-draws-was-collective",
        "published": "2026-09-03T11:35:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Increase in special draws a collective responsibility of previous government, says Tengku Zafrul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/increase-in-special-draws-a-collective-responsibility-of-previous",
        "published": "2026-09-03T12:38:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}