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ALOR SETAR – Kedah PKR questions Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s decision to blame Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the issue of gambling premises licences in the state.
Kedah Keadilan State Leadership Council communications director Tunku Nashrul Abaidah said the state government itself had taken the matter to court before its application for leave to appeal was also rejected by the Federal Court.
He said court decisions must be respected and should not be linked to the Prime Minister as the matter had been decided by the judiciary.
“Sanusi as the Menteri Besar who led the decision has lost in the legal action. The administrative action under his leadership was cancelled after the court found that it exceeded the state’s jurisdiction.
“The application for leave to appeal was also rejected by the Federal Court,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Earlier, media reported that Sanusi had warned that the people of Kedah would curse the Prime Minister if he allowed gambling activities to resume in the state.
Speaking at a briefing session on the issue of obstacles to the gambling ban in Kedah on Tuesday night, Sanusi said the state government had done everything within its power to prevent such activities through a blanket ban on gambling premises and lottery outlets in Kedah.
The ban, enforced in 2023, was however overturned by the Federal Court in a decision on Aug 12.
Sanusi said the decision on approving gambling licences now rested with the Finance Minister.
Tunku Nashrul said Malaysia practised the separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches, and therefore court decisions should not be attributed to the Prime Minister.
He also claimed that the state government's position on gambling should be assessed based on facts, rather than turning the Prime Minister into a political target.
Meanwhile, Kedah Angkatan Muda Keadilan chief Fitri Ismail said the group also did not support gambling activities as it viewed such activities as potentially harmful to society, particularly young people.
He said the state government needed to accept the court's decision and if it wanted to defend its position on gambling, the matter could be pursued through the available channels.
“So, don't twist the story as if when we criticise Sanusi's statement, we support gambling. No. We don't want gambling either.
“Let alone consuming the proceeds from gambling. But the issue of not liking gambling and the issue of legal jurisdiction are two different things,” he said.
Fitri also criticised Sanusi's use of offensive language during the briefing session when criticising the Prime Minister, saying it was inappropriate for someone holding the position of Menteri Besar.
He said political differences should not result in manners being cast aside through the use of inappropriate words.
“There is nothing wrong with being angry. There is nothing wrong with criticising the Prime Minister. In politics, we will certainly not agree on everything.
“But when it comes to using words like ‘celaka’ and ‘pelaq’, I feel that is no longer appropriate for someone holding the position of Menteri Besar,” he said.
