IN a bizarre twist, a Malaysian tycoon filed a suit against one of UK’s largest casino for RM21.9 mil, alleging the latter of breaching UK’s Gambling Act 2005, which states that “vulnerable people should be protected from being harmed or exploited by gambling”.
According to a report by The Daily Mail, Lim Han Joeh, who serves at energy and infrastructure company Yinson Holdings Bhd as its non-independent non-executive director, said that instead forcing him quit the game, Crown Aspinalls Casino increased his credit limit to RM11.23 mil.
“The claimant was going through losing streak and was desperate and panicked,” the report said, in which Lim accused the casino of “taking advantage of his distressed attempts to claw back the losses by allowing further funds and more time to gamble”.
It was said that Lim was a member of the exclusive casino since 2014 and his privileges include cashing cheques up to the tune of RM3.37 mil.
The tycoon was said to have been playing the card game double chance baccarat, for nearly 72 hours.
Despite suffering from a losing streak, it did not stop Lim from blowing another RM11.23 mil in credit, which the casino extended to him.
The incident was said to have taken place in 2015. Four years later, Aspinalls filed a case against Lim as the latter did not pay the money he had lost.
The court ruled in favour of the casino and fined Lim to the tune of RM561,669 for contempt of court as he had breached four court orders.
The judge had also admonished Lim for giving “deliberately dishonest oral evidence during the hearing.
It is to note that Lim still serves as an independent non-executive director at Yinson, with Securities Commission chairman Datuk Syed Zaid Albar’s daughter, Sharifah Munira is also serving as one of their independent non-executive director. – Jan 30, 2022.
