PRIME Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim vehemently refuted accusations linking him to the approval of a casino license for Forest City in Johor, labelling such claims as baseless rumours propagated by malicious actors.
Speaking at the national-level Labour Day celebration, Anwar clarified that he had never been presented with any proposal regarding a casino in Johor, nor had King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar expressed any interest in permitting gambling in the region.
“His Majesty has never mentioned to me any interest in allowing gambling there.
“So where did this (rumour) come from? From villains. They should take over my room at Sungai Buloh (Prison).”
Moreover, Anwar asserted his willingness to accept criticism but cautioned against levelling accusations against the monarchy, stressing that such actions could lead to legal consequences including prosecution and imprisonment.
“The monarchy could not be criticised in the same way politicians were criticised.
“If you condemn, what more slander the royals, the answer is prosecution, punishment and imprisonment,” the Tambun MP added.
“Don’t get angry at me. People say Anwar is undemocratic, that I am tough, or have an iron fist, but the country has a constitutional monarchy system, and this is the way.”
Anwar had last week denied reports that the government was mulling a casino licence to revive Forest City. This was following a Bloomberg report that claimed Malaysia was in early discussions with tycoons on opening a casino in Forest City to revive the RM478 bil property project.
Quoting sources, it said Anwar had met Berjaya Corp founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Genting Group’s Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay about the development.
Moreover, Berjaya Corp and Genting Group also refuted claims of their involvement in the purported talks.
The issue took a legal turn when Parti Pribumi Bersatu member Badrul Hisham Shaharin was charged in the Sessions Court in Johor Bharu yesterday (April 30) for allegedly publishing seditious material related to the supposed casino project.
Furthermore, Berjaya Corp also filed police reports on April 26 regarding articles implicating its involvement in the casino talks, citing malicious intent aimed at causing political turmoil. – May 1, 2024
