PAS invites DAP, others to end the game together; Says You Should Take Advantage Of GLCs, Not Lotteries For Covid-19 | Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, January 2 – The Islamist PAS party today invited other political parties such as DAP and across the political divide to work together to end all gambling activities in Malaysia.

PAS’s youth wing also opposed the federal government’s use of special lottery draws to fund the country’s fight against Covid-19, suggesting that government-linked companies (GLCs) get involved to help with costs related to the pandemic.

PAS Youth Chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin said today that the party’s youth wing was grateful for DAP’s efforts through its Dewan Negara lawmaker Liew Chin Tong to raise the issue of the government’s increased frequency of the special lottery draws for the year 2021.

“We are confident that DAP has the same aspirations as we do to ensure Malaysia is free from gambling, which is prohibited in Islam and could contribute to causing harm and social problems in the country.

“Therefore, we invite the leaders of DAP and other parties in Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional to eliminate all gambling activities in Malaysia together. May Malaysia continue to progress in 2021 without gambling, “he said in a statement today while calling for bipartisan support against gambling.

Khairil Nizam, who is also a lawmaker in Dewan Negara, echoed Liew’s concerns about the government’s decision to increase the frequency of special lottery draws from eight times a year in 2020 to 22 times a year starting in 2021. .

While noting that this increase was intended to increase the country’s revenue for Covid-19 control efforts just like when it was first introduced in 1999 to combat the Nipah virus, he said PAS Youth did not believe this was the best solution as forbidden in Islam and would cause more social problems.

Khairil Nizam suggested alternative solutions, including for the government to increase the funds allocated for the Covid-19 pandemic using existing government revenue without increasing the frequency of special lottery draws.

“PAS Youth also proposes that the government encourage joint ventures with GLC companies to bear the cost of controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, to replace the revenue collected from special lotteries,” he said.

He said PAS Youth would also like to meet with the Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance for a discussion to find the best way to increase government revenue for the Covid-19 fight and present solutions to control and reduce gambling activities in Malaysia. .

On December 28, Liew highlighted in Dewan Negara the Perikatan Nasional government’s alleged increase in the frequency of special draws for four-digit lotteries to 22 times in 2021, which would effectively be a reversal of previous efforts by the Pakatan Harapan government. to reduce the frequency of such special draws.

Liew, who is also a former deputy minister, had said that such special lottery draws would actually be tantamount to the government collecting taxes from low-income groups who would often try their hand at gambling activities in the hope of profitable profits.

“Many of them become addicted to gambling and this will cause other social problems. They will continue to try their luck with special draws, ”he had said, urging the current PN government to emulate the previous move of the previous PH government to reduce the frequency of special lottery draws.

He said that the PH government had reduced the number of special lottery draws from 22 times in 2018 (which was decided by the previous Barisan Nasional government), to just 11 times in 2019 and further reduced it to just eight times in 2020 .

On December 31, PAS, which is part of the PN government, also voiced its strong objection to the increase in special draws for lotteries, highlighting PAS-ruled Kelantan as an illustration of the party’s anti-gambling stance with the state that it does not allow its local councils to issue permits for any gambling business.

Special draws are run by number forecast operators such as Magnum, Sports Toto, and Da Ma Cai.