Sanusi: Kedah won't renew gaming shop licences, effectively banning them

 

Kedah will enforce an effective ban on the operations of all gaming shops by not renewing business licences issued by the local councils, according to its Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor. 

News portal Free Malaysia Today reported that the controversial state leader said the move was intended to tackle social ills caused by gambling, such as the collapse of family institutions.

“Those who want to buy (4-D lottery draws) can go to Penang. 

"I am a Muslim and cannot gamble. Later in the hereafter, I will be asked what I did on this issue, and if I did not do anything, I will be punished (kena tibai). While I have the power, I should use it,” he said at a press conference after he tabled the 2022 state budget at the Kedah assembly.

"When there are such premises, there are such activities, and not only non-Muslims (are involved), so I hope (this decision) can be understood as fairly as possible," he added.

Not content with this, the PAS lawmaker said that his government would also introduce curbs on the sale of alcohol in rural Kedah.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor

The state exco meeting last week, he said, decided to limit the sale of liquor in all premises, especially in rural areas where there is no demand. 

"We have also discussed with duty-free shops in Langkawi and other shops that do not have a licence so that they no longer sell alcohol openly to ensure that our people remain sane."

Series of controversies

Sanusi is no stranger to controversies and in August was forced to apologise for a macabre joke when he reminded residents in Sungai Petani to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19 as hospitals there had filled up.

At the time, when he was asked if there were enough containers to store the dead, the menteri besar replied: "Containers for the dead are enough, who wants to go in can give their names".

In July, he was fined for going on a test drive during the Covid-19 lockdown.

In March, he threatened to turn Penang's water supply "muddy" if the state did not contribute to water treatment in Kedah.

In December last year, Sanusi came under fire for using racial stereotypes to hit back at Indian leaders for criticising his handling of the demolition of Hindu temples.

The PAS leader had accused his critics of being "drunk on the toddy of populism". - Mkini