FORMER Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim took pot shots at the Islamist party, PAS for its election manifesto for the Melaka state polls and its defence of banning 4D gaming outlets in Kedah, saying even China had banned it. 

On Sunday, Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced he will no longer renew licences of all gaming shops in the state. 

Calling it a move “to tackle social ills resulting from gambling”, Sanusi also said that would introduce curbs on the sale of alcohol in rural parts of Kedah “where the demand for such drinks is low”.

“Those who want to buy (4-D lottery numbers) can go to Penang,” he was reported saying, adding the gaming outlet operators in the state should find other ways to make money instead. 

Following brickbats over the decision, Kedah state assemblyperson Hanif Ghazali defended Sanusi by saying that even China had outlawed gambling for the last 70 years. 

The PAS lawmaker added that China only allowed gambling at weddings, birthdays and other smaller events, and at gaming centres in the special autonomous regions of Macau and Hong Kong.

“Can you imagine what gambling can do to the family institution? The breadwinner is forced to borrow money from moneylenders, while his wife has to pawn her belongings to clear the debts from gambling,” Free Malaysia Today reported him as saying. 

Touching on the Melaka state election, Zaid reminded its people the state is clean and properly maintained; having clean water with thriving businesses because PAS was not administering it. 

“Wherever PAS is ruling, there is high poverty rate, soaring divorce cases and belief in superstitious matters. 

“Despite all that, other Malay-based parties want to cooperate with PAS. How weird of our Malay-based parties,” the former Kota Bharu MP remarked. – Nov 18, 2021. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/in-china-pas-will-be-outlawed-too-zaid-tells-the-islamist-party-over-its-gambling-ban-logic/