KANGAR: Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli insisted the Pas-led Perikatan Nasional state government would not entertain any appeal over the decision to stop renewing licences for gaming outlets in the state.
Shukri stressed that the state administration has given ample time for the six gaming outlet operators in Perlis to venture into other businesses or find a new job.
"As I said earlier, we issued the notice in April, now we are in June. The premises will cease operation by October or November.
"There is ample time for them to find new jobs. In fact, there are not that many of them.
There are only six licensed gaming outlets in the state," Shukri said in a video of an undated 'ceramah' that was uploaded on his Instagram account today.
Shukri added that the state government would be holding a dialogue with non-governmental organisations representing Chinese communities in Perlis soon to explain the state government's decision not to renew license for gaming outlets.
The first-term Menteri Besar said he was unperturbed by critics that the move would spur the growth of illegal gaming activities in the state.
"They said illegal gaming activities will be spurred, but I told them that illegal gaming is not the state government's responsibility.
"However, we will locate and eliminate illegal gaming activities. Thus, those who are organising illegal gaming, beware. We will find you, because the people in Perlis will feed us with the information (on the activity).
"As for the gaming license, as Muslims, we are responsible to shoulder the sins for approving the license and we will be held accountable before Allah in the afterlife," he said in the video.
Shukri added that one of the first persons to congratulate him for being steadfast with the decision was an army brigadier general, but he did not disclose the senior officer's name.
"I told him that I am already over 60 years, I can't delay it any longer, as I worried that I could be gone before eliminating gambling activities. I am really relieved now," he said.
Yesterday, a news portal (Malaysiakini) reported that STM Lottery Sdn Bhd, previously known as Sports Toto Malaysia wished to meet with Kangar Municipal Council (MPKPs) president Norazlan Yahaya following the decision not to renew licenses for gaming outlets in Perlis.
The portal reported STM deputy general manager Giam Say Khoon as saying the letter to request for the meeting was delivered by hand to MPKPs office on Thursday.
Sports Toto has four outlets in Perlis, two are located in Kangar and one each in Kuala Perlis and Padang Besar.
On Thursday, the NST reported that Perlis Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Fakhrul Anwar Ismail confirmed that the state government will no longer approve license renewal for six existing gaming outlets in the state after March next year, in line with the 'Perlis Gambling Free' policy.
He was reported as saying the operating license for the premises will expire between this July, August and March next year and the state government would not be renewing them.
Fakhrul had also dismissed claims that the state government was not being transparent about the gaming outlets' licensing issue, adding that it was already in the plans.
Kedah became the third state to ban license gaming outlets after the Pas-led PN administration stopped renewing licenses.
Prior to that, two other Pas-led state governments, Kelantan and Terengganu had banned licensed gaming outlets in 1990 and 2020 respectively. - NST
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