Pas Diehards Chide Pmx For Failing His Muslim Duty To Ensure Gambling Remains Banned In Kedah

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IT seems that fury has been directed at both the Madani government and principally, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for failure to defend the rights of PAS-ruled Kedah to ban gambling in the state.
This follows Friday’s (Dec 12) 2-1 majority Court of Appeal verdict to uphold the Alor Star High Court ruling which declared the Kedah state government’s decision to cease the issuance and renewal of business licences for gaming operators as unconstitutional and in violation of the Federal Constitution.

“Almost 80% of Kedahans are Malay Muslims who have given a mandate to the state government of their choice to close gambling premises to prevent their people from getting caught up in this vile and harmful practice,” penned PAS activist and HarakahDaily columnist Roslan SMS.

“The PM who is also the Finance Minister is also a Malay Muslim. I think there is no problem for him to use his authority to order such license to be revoked throughout Kedah to respect the wishes of Kedahans.
“Unless the PM doesn’t see the need to ban gambling in this Malay majority state. Why is this so then?”
‘Kowtowing to DAP’
Another staunch PAS supporter took a pot shot at Muslim leaders in the Madani government for failing to defend Kedah’s all-out effort to shut down gambling joints in the state by “bowing to political pressure from DAP”.
Nevertheless, Kedahans still hope that the state government will continue its legal battle by escalating the case to the Federal Court, according to native Kedahan Khalid Hamka.
“Winning or losing (the case) is not the question; what is important is that Kedah’s principle to be a gambling-free state is upheld,” he argued in a FB post on the Sembang Orang Kedah page.

“Madani’s supporters may be cheering that Kedah has lost but they forget that the closure of gambling dens is the aspiration of all Kedahans, not just a political decision by PAS.
“If gambling dens are allowed to re-open, this will certainly be seen as an insult to Kedahans as if it were a political victory for DAP over the state government.”
Added Khalid: “In an atmosphere of tense sentiment over the Penang issue, the re-opening of gambling dens has the potential to further strain the relationship between Kedahans and the Federal government.”
Recall that the “blame DAP” narrative was trumpeted by Kedah PAS information chief Zulkifli Yahaya on grounds that DAP through its National Legal Bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh had on Nov 23, 2021 backed Liew Han Eng and three other gambling operators to file a legal challenge against Kedah’s decision not to renew gambling licenses.
As it is, only the four Perikatan Nasional (PN)-governed a.k.a. SG4 states (Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu) are affected by the appellant court’s decision.

“This is because only SG4 (acronym for State Government 4) outright bans gambling unlike Madani-governed states which legalise what is forbidden by Allah through licensing,” penned Zulkifli who is also the political secretary to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor on HarakahDaily.
“If the Federal government which is supposed to champion the Madani society refuses to take steps to ban gambling, then every Malaysian who treasures civilised and moral society must unite to reject them in the GE16 (16th General Election). Don’t collude (with them).” –  Focus Malaysia

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