Malaysia's northern Kedah state is set to effectively ban all licensed gambling operators, raising concern among critics that non-Muslim activities are being subjected to moral policing.
The state, which is governed by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), said it would not renew licences for gambling operators, just a week after the authorities in the capital Kuala Lumpur imposed a limited ban on liquor sales in stores in the territory.
Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Md Nor made the announcement on Sunday, saying he wanted the state to be "free of gambling" and that people who wanted to buy lottery tickets should head to the neighbouring state of Penang.
He also said the sale of alcohol would be banned in the rural parts of the state.
Kedah is one of three Malaysian states governed by Islamist party PAS but unlike the other two - Kelantan and Terengganu - it has a sizeable non-Muslim community comprising more than 20 per cent of the state's population of two million. Malay Muslims form the majority community in Malaysia.
Datuk Seri Sanusi has sparked controversy before. Earlier this year, he cancelled the Thaipusam public holiday for ethnic Indians in Kedah, citing the ongoing national lockdown for Covid-19.
Mr Sanusi's latest announcement comes just over a week after Kuala Lumpur City Hall imposed a ban on liquor sales in Chinese medicine shops as well as grocery and convenience stores in the federal territory.
Beer can be sold only until 9pm, according to the new guidelines.
Both the Malaysian Indian Congress and the Malaysian Chinese Association - the Indian and Chinese-based parties that partner PAS in the federal administration - have criticised Mr Sanusi's move as "illogical".
Also, the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) has questioned the validity of Mr Sanusi's declaration.
Mr Sanusi has ordered all Kedah local councils not to renew the licences of gaming shops. However, DAP legal bureau chief Ramkarpal Singh on Sunday said that such refusals should be issued only when businesses fail to comply with operating regulations, and not used to impose arbitrary blanket bans.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday labelled PAS' move as an "extremist" policy.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said that a government led by his party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air, would guarantee the privileges that non-Malays enjoy.
"A Pejuang-dominated government will uphold democratic principles and the rule of law," Tun Dr Mahathir said in a blog post yesterday. Pejuang is a Malay-based party that serves as part of the opposition bloc in Parliament.
Last month, several politicians, including those from PAS, had demanded that the name of a local whiskey, Timah, be changed, claiming it was the short form of Fatimah, the name of Prophet Muhammad's daughter.
On Saturday the government announced that the name could be retained, but with an explanation on the label that the name means "tin ore" in Malay.
