Mahfuz Omar and Puad Zarkashi disagree with Zaid Ibrahim.
PETALING JAYA: PAS information chief Mahfuz Umar today cautioned against the free granting of entertainment licences to Muslim businessmen.
He said the word “entertainment” should first be defined to exclude activities considered sinful in Islam.
Furthermore, he added, the entertainment “should be helpful in developing a healthy social and moral society”.
Gambling would definitely not fit into this description, he said.
In a blog posting last Friday, former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim proposed that Malays should be given entertainment and gaming licenses.
He said gaming and entertainment licences were being given only to cronies of the BN elite who use their huge profits to build expensive properties in Kuala Lumpur and other cities around the world.
He lamented that Malays were not being given the chance to make money through gaming and other forms of entertainment and finding themselves unable buy houses in the city, never seeing the connection between gaming money and skyrocketing property prices.
Zaid’s sarcasm was lost on Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi.
“Looks like Zaid only knows how to make fast money, but ignores the negative impacts of gambling,” Puad said in a reaction to the blog article.
He agreed with Mahfuz that Muslims should be prevented from engaging in non-halal businesses.
“There is no blessing in non-halal profits,” he said.
“Because of gambling, many people have lost their savings and ended up borrowing from loan sharks, thereby increasing their family problems.
“It is better to reduce gambling licences.”
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