Zaid: Give Malays gaming licences

The government is depriving Malay businessmen by not giving them gaming and entertainment licences, said Zaid Ibrahim.

PETALING JAYA: Former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim said the government should not insist that Malay businessmen only participate in halal ventures, thus depriving them of gaming and entertainment licences.

“Why are Malay businessmen being discriminated by their own leaders, who take such lucrative business opportunities away from them?” asked Zaid.

“Gaming and entertainment licences are given out to friendly parties or cronies, who in turn use the huge profits derived from these activities to buy properties to built resorts here, Singapore and elsewhere.

“The Malays are not given a chance to make money and ultimately find themselves unable to afford homes in the city, never realising the connection between gaming money and skyrocketing property prices.

“The PM talks of economic liberalisation but we cannot just look at the ways we can open up the country to foreigners. Liberalisation should not just benefit them.

“Why are they being discriminated by their own leaders, who take such lucrative business opportunities away from them?” he asked.

Zaid said the Government was making things difficult for Malay businessmen by insisting that they only participated in halal ventures.
“It does not mean that all halal business is sanctioned by God ,” he said in his blog today.

“If I were a Jakim chief and ruled that all imported turkeys must be certified halal, only to make sure my company would be the sole bearer of this certificate, do you think this business would be sanctioned by Allah?” he asked.

“We must be concerned with having halal values, not with halal business label.

“Heaven is only for those who live by halal conduct, not for those who have halal labels on their business premises.,”said the former Umno man.

He urged the government to give fair opportunity for Malay businessmen.