Malaysia’s ‘sin industries’ plan for rising Islamic conservatism ahead of state polls

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s so-called sin industries are making contingency plans to guard their earnings, amid fears that upcoming state elections could shift policies to favour Muslim conservatives, and curtail activities such as gambling and alcohol sales.

Fuelling such concerns are the

electoral gains made by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS)

in the

November general election,

in which it won 43 seats and became the largest party in federal Parliament. While the Islamist party, together with its allies in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, remains in federal opposition, a repeat performance at state elections could see it leading more state governments.