Accept cultural diversity, Tian Chua tells Kedah after ban on 4D shops
PKR vice-president Tian Chua said Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor must take into account the rights of non-Muslims.
PETALING JAYA: The Kedah government’s move to ban all 4D shops has come under fire from political and business leaders, who say it ignores cultural diversity and affects the state’s revenue.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the ban shows that the PAS-led state government had failed to acknowledge the cultural diversity of the country and added that it would create a further rift among the various races.
He said the state government was making a “popularist and religious appeal” to compensate for its inability to develop the state economically and provide welfare aid to uplift the lives of the people after the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was why PAS needed to make such “low-level emotional appeal to get votes”, he added.
“Now it is in Kedah. It may become a nationwide policy if the Perikatan Nasional coalition adopts it,” he said.
The former Batu MP added that such policies that do not take into account the rights of non-Muslims would “definitely create inter-ethnic tension”.
PETALING JAYA: The Kedah government’s move to ban all 4D shops has come under fire from political and business leaders, who say it ignores cultural diversity and affects the state’s revenue.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the ban shows that the PAS-led state government had failed to acknowledge the cultural diversity of the country and added that it would create a further rift among the various races.
He said the state government was making a “popularist and religious appeal” to compensate for its inability to develop the state economically and provide welfare aid to uplift the lives of the people after the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was why PAS needed to make such “low-level emotional appeal to get votes”, he added.
“Now it is in Kedah. It may become a nationwide policy if the Perikatan Nasional coalition adopts it,” he said.
The former Batu MP added that such policies that do not take into account the rights of non-Muslims would “definitely create inter-ethnic tension”.
Earlier today, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the state would ban the operation of all gaming shops by not renewing their business licences issued by the local councils in a move “to tackle the ills resulting from gambling”.
It also intended to introduce curbs on the sale of alcohol in rural parts of Kedah “where the demand for such drinks is low”.
Two Cabinet ministers who spoke to FMT on the condition of anonymity said they would raise the issue in the Cabinet.
“This is such a bad decision. We cannot allow this to happen,” said one of the ministers.
The other minister said: “We just solved the Timah whisky controversy in Cabinet with some agreeing and others disagreeing. We need to discuss this new issue in the Cabinet,” he added.
‘Shortfall in taxes from the 4D shops’
Meanwhile, the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed shock over the ban on 4D shops in Kedah.
Its executive director, Shaun Cheah, said the state government would need to cover this shortfall in taxes from the 4D shops.
“How will the lost revenue be replaced? Will taxes be increased to cover the shortfall? If this happens, both Muslims and non- Muslims will have to pay for the shortfall,” he told FMT.
Cheah also questioned the definition of “social ills”. For instance, he said drug abuse was recognised as a social ill worldwide and due to that, countries had banned it.
“Similarly, corruption is globally banned. Shouldn’t the Kedah government crack down on corruption?”
He said the state government should be looking at awareness programmes on gambling instead of imposing the ban.
Kedah Chinese Chamber of Commerce immediate past president Tang Eng Kiang said the state ought to respect the rights of non-Muslims to do as they wished.
“This is not right when Muslims are already banned from entering 4D shops or prohibited from buying alcoholic products.
“Non-Muslims have always been told to respect the rights of Muslims. I believe this respect should be reciprocal.”
DAP’s Kota Darul Aman assemblyman Teh Swee Leong said the move was against the personal liberties of Malaysians.
“When one wants to bet, gamble on anything, it is a personal wish, and it is not up to others to impose bans,” he said.
Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy said the move was a “not-so-subtle way of Islamisation” and against the rights of non-Muslims.
“It is for non-Muslims to decide for themselves what is good and not good. Therefore, there is no need for moral policing, resulting in the denial of their rights, be it gambling or drinking,” he said in a statement on Facebook.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s criminologist P Sundramoorthy said such curbs would cause the flourishing of black market lotteries.
He said the government also stood to lose tax revenue and put legal punters in a quandary, where they might be forced to take the illegal route.
Sundramoorthy said illegal gaming centres stood to benefit immensely out of the ban, with bets already being placed via phone calls or online.
“Those who want to punt legally will have no choice but to go to Perak or Penang. They might also be forced to establish contacts with illegal syndicates.
“It is always a challenge for law enforcement to curb illegal gambling. And countries that have made gambling illegal are finding it tough to police illegal gambling.
“That is why the country has introduced a legitimate means to buy lotteries through licensed agents to provide better control of such activities,” he said.
It also intended to introduce curbs on the sale of alcohol in rural parts of Kedah “where the demand for such drinks is low”.
Two Cabinet ministers who spoke to FMT on the condition of anonymity said they would raise the issue in the Cabinet.
“This is such a bad decision. We cannot allow this to happen,” said one of the ministers.
The other minister said: “We just solved the Timah whisky controversy in Cabinet with some agreeing and others disagreeing. We need to discuss this new issue in the Cabinet,” he added.
‘Shortfall in taxes from the 4D shops’
Meanwhile, the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed shock over the ban on 4D shops in Kedah.
Its executive director, Shaun Cheah, said the state government would need to cover this shortfall in taxes from the 4D shops.
“How will the lost revenue be replaced? Will taxes be increased to cover the shortfall? If this happens, both Muslims and non- Muslims will have to pay for the shortfall,” he told FMT.
Cheah also questioned the definition of “social ills”. For instance, he said drug abuse was recognised as a social ill worldwide and due to that, countries had banned it.
“Similarly, corruption is globally banned. Shouldn’t the Kedah government crack down on corruption?”
He said the state government should be looking at awareness programmes on gambling instead of imposing the ban.
Kedah Chinese Chamber of Commerce immediate past president Tang Eng Kiang said the state ought to respect the rights of non-Muslims to do as they wished.
“This is not right when Muslims are already banned from entering 4D shops or prohibited from buying alcoholic products.
“Non-Muslims have always been told to respect the rights of Muslims. I believe this respect should be reciprocal.”
DAP’s Kota Darul Aman assemblyman Teh Swee Leong said the move was against the personal liberties of Malaysians.
“When one wants to bet, gamble on anything, it is a personal wish, and it is not up to others to impose bans,” he said.
Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy said the move was a “not-so-subtle way of Islamisation” and against the rights of non-Muslims.
“It is for non-Muslims to decide for themselves what is good and not good. Therefore, there is no need for moral policing, resulting in the denial of their rights, be it gambling or drinking,” he said in a statement on Facebook.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s criminologist P Sundramoorthy said such curbs would cause the flourishing of black market lotteries.
He said the government also stood to lose tax revenue and put legal punters in a quandary, where they might be forced to take the illegal route.
Sundramoorthy said illegal gaming centres stood to benefit immensely out of the ban, with bets already being placed via phone calls or online.
“Those who want to punt legally will have no choice but to go to Perak or Penang. They might also be forced to establish contacts with illegal syndicates.
“It is always a challenge for law enforcement to curb illegal gambling. And countries that have made gambling illegal are finding it tough to police illegal gambling.
“That is why the country has introduced a legitimate means to buy lotteries through licensed agents to provide better control of such activities,” he said.
This is another example of what life would be under a PAS government.
ReplyDeleteAnd they freely use the term Keluarga Malaysia.
Ptui!!!!